For One, For None
by peacelight24
Summary: When the threat of a new hun enemy arrives, Mulan returns to the army. There, she and Shang struggle with their relationship, and with the prejudices against women. Do not own original characters, they belong to Disney. Chapters 1-3 revised!
1. Another Story Must Begin!

Mulan hacked at the fertile soil feverishly and wished, not for the first time, that she was better at multitasking. If she could just think and work at the same time, maybe she could, just possibly, organize her life a little bit better.

Because there was a lot to think about right now.

She sighed and chopped a particularly ornery clod of dirt to pieces.

A week ago, a summons had arrived from the emperor. Delivered by an Imperial Messenger, and written very beautifully in calligraphy on some lovely parchment, the ruler of all China had summoned her to the royal palace under no uncertain terms, as there was a matter of great urgency that needed her attending.

She would not have a choice this time.

Not that she herself had any particular objection. All in all, life since she had returned from war (was it only a year ago?) was…rather boring. After spending so many months stressed and scared, it was good to finally be home, and it was a relief to be female again. But she missed the challenge of it. Army life suited her, oddly enough. There were rules to follow, clear-cut lines that could not be crossed, and she had been rather _good_ at it, even if she had broken all of them by simply being there.

That was a first in her life. She wasn't usually good at anything.

She was too loud, she walked without grace, she found ways to get chores done without actually doing them, and as far as _tea_ goes…

Well. The less said about the matchmaker the better. What happens in Rome and all that.

But fighting in the army…for the first time, it felt like her life had _purpose_. Like she actually had something more to offer the world than bearing a son and serving her husband. And she _liked_ it.

Mulan knew that as a woman, her place was at her husband's side. But until she got married, she was supposed to support her family around the house, waiting to be paired with someone by the matchmaker.

But she simply couldn't do that!

Not after what she had seen and experienced. Not after feeling the respect that she had been granted as a man that simply didn't exist for women. Coming back to a world of constant subservience…it had been difficult.

So that posed an excellent question. Was it better for someone to live in darkness their whole lives, and never see the light, or to see the light and return to darkness?

Oh, she didn't regret her decision to take her father's place in the army. Not a bit. She had saved his life, and that was worth any price. And if she had the choice, she would never erase the memories. She had truly found herself in the military, found a self confidence that she had lacked upon her departure from home. It's just…the feelings she experienced upon being ignored again…the unfairness of it…had really taken its toll on her in the last year.

She had it better than most. Men did not disregard her instantly, and she knew that they still admired her for her feats against the Huns. But she did not think that they saw her as a woman anymore, rather an oddity that they didn't know how to handle.

So yes, she missed the army, but peace-time was preferable to war-time any day of the week, and if the country didn't have an army, then there was no need for men to die. One girl's identity confusion probably wasn't a good enough reason to desire warfare.

Then again, there was at least one person she knew who most definitely saw her as a woman. Shang had returned two weeks after their initial (and much to her mother's chagrin, impromptu) dinner and asked permission to court her from her father, who told the poor boy to ask Mulan. She had readily accepted, and they had started to get to know each other again. With Shang's thinking Mulan was a boy, and Mulan's constant fear of being discovered during her enlistment, it hadn't exactly been the ideal time to start looking for a marital partner. Now that had changed, and even though Mulan had only seen Shang a handful of times over the last year (it was a long trip from the capital), she knew that they continued to grow closer. Or at least she hoped so. Shang, it seemed, had a very difficult time with expressing emotions. Mulan thought he was better suited to Goh (1) than relationships, but to each his (or her) own, she supposed.

So in the end, Mulan supposed she was content with her life at the moment. But she couldn't deny that her heart had leapt a little when she realized that something was happening again.

As she heard the distant ring of the lunch bell, Mulan replaced her pick in its eternal place on the ground, and jogged lightly to the house. A wave of nostalgia swept over her as she looked upon her childhood home. Soon she would not be a part of it.

The nature of the summons was vague. The emperor had not stated his reasons. She knew she was not in trouble. She hadn't done anything illegal lately, and if the emperor was to revoke his decision to spare her life, it would look very strange. The emperor would look weak and unsteady in his decisions, and of course he couldn't be, or turmoil would rage across the land with uprisings and riots. If the leader looked weak, the people would not follow. Mulan had learned this from Shang.

So that left two options.

The emperor could be asking her to a position at court, as he had on the day she saved China. That was the first option. This too would be a bit strange, even if one of the positions had opened up. War hero aside, she was just a peasant girl who had an admittedly impressive military background. Officially, she knew very little aside from farming, the life of a soldier, and how to be a good wife (the last one was still a little iffy). She would hardly be useful on a council of advisors to the emperor. It had made sense when the position was offered, as he needed to show her some kind of reward for all she had done, but it would have been rather unwise in the long run. Most in the court would be like Chi-fu, and disregard any ideas she might have had because of her gender. All the good she had done for China and its female population would have been undone, and she would have become a figure head. Yes, it was good that she had been so homesick, that she had declined the emperor.

Which left the third option.

The emperor was asking her back into the military.

Demanding, more like.

She knew that she had gotten her brain from her father, that he was a brilliant man, which was why she hadn't been surprised when he had come to the same conclusion that she had about the emperor's summons. Maybe against better judgment, he had also informed Mulan's mother and grandmother of this. All three of them were desperate to keep their wayward daughter at home, but they also knew that no one could defy or decline such a direct summons from the emperor.

Her parents were also worried for another reason.

This time around, everyone would know she was a woman.

Now in an ideal world, the men she would be working with would come to recognize her skill as a soldier and respect her for it, treat her as an equal.

She did not live in an ideal world.

Most likely, many men would not even give her a chance. Prejudice and tradition were strong motivators, and Mulan really couldn't blame them. However it did mean that she was in some considerable danger of being assaulted. The months of training were long and arduous, and she would be surprised if she got through this without having anyone hit on her in a drunken stupor (alcohol was forbidden, but at Wu Zhong the men had always managed to produce some). Many men sought the comfort of women to get through it all.

Mulan was confident enough in her ability to defend herself that she didn't worry about this so much.

Once she reached the inside of the house, she quickly traveled over to the kitchen, where the table was set for lunch. Since her return, the family had had no want for money, though her father had refused to accept any payment from the emperor on her behalf. They could have far more extravagant meals than plain rice, but she was not inclined to complain. Home was where she could live a simple life, with farm work, a proud but ailing father, a kind mother and a spirited grandmother. Extravagant meals were not a part of that picture, and besides, there was something fulfilling about eating the food that she and her family had coaxed from the unyielding earth.

The meal was a silent affair, much like the night she had left for the army. And, just like that night, the silence and solemnity was getting to her. She sighed, rather loudly.

"Maybe it is not what we think, baba."

Fa Zhao looked sadly at his daughter, the one and only Mulan. "I see no other option, daughter, nor do you."

Mulan sighed again and looked at the table, "No, I suppose I don't."

Ironically, the meal was lighter after that. Mulan told her father of the progress she had made in the field, how many crops had been sown and such. It was early in the fall, and the end of the growing season. Without Mulan's help, it would be difficult to get the field re-planted for the next year. Luckily, Mulan had called in a favor from a village boy. He had offered to do it for free, as he was one who seemed to believe he was somehow indebted to Mulan, and wished to repay her. She had refused. It was not the boy's responsibility in the first place, and therefore he should be paid. Her pride was another trait that she shared with her father.

After the table had cleared, Mulan went to go back out to the fields, but as soon as she stepped outside, she was stopped dead in her tracks.

Fifteen white imperial stallions stood just inside the gates of her home. Every one of the riders was clad in impressive plate and leather armor, denoting their high ranking. Golden helmet visors covered their faces, and created an almost inhuman quality about them. She probably would have been terrified if it hadn't been for the one friendly face in the middle who had taken his helmet off upon her arrival.

Shang had come for her.

* * *

Tada!

It's here, finally. This is actually unbetaed, as the one who was going to do it still hasn't looked at the files, and I'm too impatient to wait anymore. Anyways, this is the revised version of Chapter 1, and I think its better. You guys tell me though, better or worse than the original?

Thanks for reading, and please review, whether you have something nice to say or not.

~Peace Out


	2. By the Witness of the Martyrs

The moment he saw her, Shang was glad that he was leading this mission

It wasn't that she couldn't take care of herself. He knew that she could. But even as she stepped out of her home, he had sucked in a breath. Ancestors help him, she didn't look to be more than fourteen! Even though he knew her to be wiser than most, she looked very young and innocent right now. Almost naïve. Of course, Shang knew she wasn't, and not that he had any particular _attraction_ to young girls, but he knew some men did, and he knew that Mulan knew this too. Army campfire talk was not something for a woman's ears.

Yeah, he was glad to be leading this platoon.

But looking at her now…How he had ever mistaken her for a boy again?

It wasn't that she was particularly curvy, or the perfect example of womanhood or anything. There was just something in her posture and demeanor that was very feminine. And looking at her face made him question his observational skills again. Every one of her features-from the wide dark eyes to the soft curve of her jaw-was quite obviously female.

He frowned again.

Obviously, considering he was courting her, he found Mulan attractive. But it wasn't because of any astounding beauty she possessed. In truth she was rather scrawny. It was her intelligence, her spirit, and her passion that Shang found attractive. She just seemed…more _interesting_ than any other girl he had met.

But she was young, or at least looked it, and therefore some men would be attracted to her in a manner that was not at all appropriate. Very abruptly, he realized such was the case for a few of the men in his company. Their posture turned from tense to almost predatory, and there was a gleam in some of their eyes that he had come to associate with soldiers and the army's crude form of flirting.

And he didn't like it. Not one bit.

See, this was why he had opposed Mulan's summons with every ounce of power his new station as General granted him. It wasn't that he didn't trust her strength to carry her through this-he had trained her himself, after all. He simply didn't want to endanger her. If he lost her, he wasn't exactly sure what he would do. Truth be told, his relationship with Mulan was probably the only one not associated with the army. Actually, now that he thought about it, that didn't say much about his social life, considering he met her _through_ the army.

Right. Social life. Generals who are promoted at the age of eighteen don't _have_ social lives.

General. He was a goddamn general now.

His head was still spinning from the promotion even now, almost a year after he had been given the armor and seal. It was truly an honor, especially considering that he was the youngest general in at least a century. But he had only gotten it thanks to Mulan, who, by this point, was looking at him questioningly. Of course she was, he had taken his helmet off, and more than that, he was a general now. As far as authority goes, he was at the top, and the natural expectation would be that he would give the orders.

He sighed, wanting to walk over to her and explain how sorry he was that he had to be here, that he had to take her away from her home. But he remembered his men, remembered that he could not look weak in front of them, could not let his emotions show through to them.

"Are you ready?" He asked, ever the voice of command.

One of the men to the right started and turned to him. "Sir, do you mean to tell me that this girl is Fa Mulan?"

He turned his gaze to the soldier. The man flinched under his stare. "Is there a problem with that, soldier?"

He shook his head vigorously, "N-no, sir, I suppose I just thought she would be older, that's all."

Shang believed him. The man was not one of his brighter underlings, but he followed orders well and had a kind heart. Not all soldiers could be a rule breaker like Mulan, or there would be no order within the army. An occasional anomaly was alright, but a whole army full? They would never get anything done.

Mulan straightened, adopting what Shang liked to call her 'soldier's stance'. Her back was straighter, her chin higher, her feet closer together, and it looked as if she had aged five years in the blink of an eye. All traces of uncertainty were gone from her eyes as she fixed the man with a determined stare. Shang felt a little bad for him. Being under the scrutiny of Shang was one thing, but being glared at by Mulan was downright _dangerous_, no matter how young she looked.

"I'm sixteen," she defended. It really wasn't helping her case with some of the more crude men, and he hoped she stopped soon. She didn't. "I just need to change," here, Shang's mind was suddenly flooded with some very inappropriate fantasies, as he was a guy, after all, and he was as prone to these weaknesses as much as any other, "and grab my bag, general." And with that, she turned on her heel and marched back to her house to collect her things.

Once she was gone, the men visibly relaxed.

"A bit out of turn, no?" One soldier whispered to another, who readily agreed. Shang sighed.

"You will respect her as you would any other soldier. In this army, she has the same rights as any man. Is that clear?"

The soldiers seemed shocked, and it took a few seconds for most to reply. One surly man growled and said something incomprehensible.

"What was that?" Shang asked coldly. The soldier didn't say anything, and Shang took it as a sign of submission until the man whispered again to his companion.

"Just because she's his concubine doesn't mean we have to respect her."

Shang had the man on the ground with a sword pointed at his throat so quickly that he hadn't even registered the action. All he noticed was this deafening roaring that had pounded through his ears as he glared at the man.

"Calling the woman who has assured your continued existence a concubine is not a proper way to show respect," He hissed, "And for the record, you will not respect her because of me, or whatever history I share with her, but for what she has done for you, and every other ungrateful citizen of this country." Shang pressed the tip of his sword into his jugular just a bit. "You will also respect her for what she is capable of, because I assure you it is more than you will ever dream of achieving." Leaving the shaken man on the ground, Shang sheathed his sword and climbed onto his horse. Shang took a little too much pride in his ability to scare the man than was probably healthy.

"Stand up soldier, and get back on your horse. You look pathetic."

Okay, so that probably wasn't necessary, but Shang couldn't help it. He simply couldn't handle it when people insulted Mulan, as he had found out over the past year. He heard it sometimes, when people didn't realize he was listening. Something simply…snapped inside of him, when that happened, and he always overreacted.

He could feel the fiery glare coming from the man who was wiping the dirt and dust off of his uniform. Thanks to his wounded pride, Shang doubted the rest of this assignment would be very comfortable for Mulan. More concubine comments were sure to come. However, Shang couldn't bring himself to care that much right then, for in that moment, Fa Zhao came out of his home.

Immediately every soldier straightened in their saddle, especially Shang. This was a general who had lost the use of his leg thanks to his service, and every single one of the soldiers there had heard of his great military feats. He was an incredible man, and he walked with so much pride, demanded so much respect without ever really asking for it, that every single man in the party couldn't help but feel awed by his presence.

And for Shang, the man was Mulan's father. What else needed to be said? He needed this man to like him.

As soon as the old general made eye contact with him, Shang knew that a conversation was coming that needed to be held away from others. This was man to man, and it concerned Mulan. It was not normally a conversation he would have in front of his underlings, but considering the circumstances, it needed to be done.

Shang trotted briskly towards the old man, who nodded in approval and waited for Shang's approach. When they were near enough for conversation, Shang began.

"Honorable Fa Zhao." He acknowledged and bowed as much as his position atop his horse would allow.

"General Li." The man said back. There was a sad smile on the man's face. "I trust you will take care of my daughter. She will need all the help she can get. Many will be against her."

Shang nodded. This went without saying. "Of course, sir."

At that moment, Mulan came back. She was already mounted upon her black stallion, Khan, with her hair pulled back into a low topknot and wearing a strange set of clothes that made her look a bit older. The robes were feminine, with the various shades of green and blue in multiple layers, but it wasn't a dress, as was the typical female attire when in public. There was no unnecessary fabric, and it looked like something that would be suitable for her to fight in.

Shang blinked at that. Had they seen this coming? To have clothes specifically designed to be feminine, yet manly enough for battle on hand was not normal. The two of them must have seen her summons coming. The forethought required for such an assumption was astounding, and Shang inwardly admired the Fa family's intelligence before wondering what else they had prepared for this adventure.

Despite her slightly out of the ordinary attire, she looked very…at home on her horse. An inner confidence seemed to radiate from her, and it made Shang proud. She had not had that when she first came to the Wu Zhong camp. She really seemed to have found herself during her previous enlistment.

The horse pranced a little. She calmed it with a little pat to his shoulder.

Shang frowned a little. With a horse that stuck out as much as Khan, and it being her only mount, she was an obvious target. And besides, the horse was a bit…distinctive in his personality. He only hoped that she would be willing to ride other mounts, else he was going to have a heart attack every time they were in transit.

Mulan looked at her father, who smiled. She nodded her head respectfully.

"Goodbye, Mulan. Gain honor for your family."

Shang was surprised by this. It was definitely not the heartfelt goodbye he had been expecting. He knew how much the man loved his daughter, and he knew that the family's honor was not his main concern. He looked to Mulan, to see how she had reacted to this.

"I will, father."

Well _that_ was just strange. Mulan called her father baba, a more affectionate term. Shang had also never heard Mulan speak in such a clipped tone with her father. Or talk so little. Such a short, unfeeling goodbye was not what he had been expecting from these two.

It was then that he realized that two other members of the Fa family were missing. Glancing at the house, he spotted them in the doorway. Fa Li was openly crying, and grandmother Fa was as solemn as Shang had ever seen her.

Mulan nodded to the two women, but didn't say a word and Shang understood.

This was just a show. Mulan had already said her goodbyes, probably while inside the house. All that was happening now was just an act! And Shang understood why.

If Mulan appeared weak in front of these men-men she would have to spend at least the next few days with-then it could raise the prejudices against her tenfold. And with her mother and grandmother acting the way they were, it would only prove how much a warrior she was, to not succumb to those womanly weaknesses, as they would be called. These men had not been instructed to keep silent about this mission. All of their friends would be asking for details on Mulan and probably on Shang. Word of seeing Mulan act so stoically and being so strong would spread by hand of mouth, and the story would become well known. Many would judge her on this, and if the Fa family played their cards right, all judgments would be positive.

Oh, well played Mulan.

Or maybe it was Zhao who had come up with this plan. Shang wasn't sure. Actually it had probably been a combination of both. Those two's minds worked too similarly to tell. All Shang knew for sure was that it was a good thing neither of them had any intention of taking over China. The girl who buried an army with one canon and the revered General Fa Zhao could certainly do it within a matter of weeks.

Mulan turned her attention expectantly towards Shang. He nodded.

"Men, formation!" He called.

The horses lined up on either side of the gate, seven to each side. Including Mulan, there were sixteen in the party.

"Honorable Fa Zhao." He said to the old general behind him. The man bowed to Shang.

"Take care, General Li." Shang caught the double meaning. He was wishing Shang well, but was also reminding him to take care of Mulan. He nodded in acknowledgment of Fa Zhao, and trotted down the line, Mulan taking her usual place beside him. He nearly smiled at that. She didn't seem to even think about it. That's where Ping would always ride anyway, and Shang knew that it would feel odd to both of them if she rode anywhere else.

His troops fell into line behind him in pairs, the line folding in on itself. As soon as they were assembled, he and Mulan started off into a canter, his troops close behind.

Mulan didn't look back.

Shang had a feeling she hadn't the first time either.

* * *

a/n-I don't think I like this chapter as much as chapter 1. But I still think it's better than the original, so it stays. Anyways, if I didn't tell you in my chapter 8 a/n, I'm going to revise all existing chapters before moving on to the rest of the story. Twenty three chapters. Yikes.

Alright so you know the drill, you've read and now I would love it if you reviewed. Constructive criticism is appreciated, flames are not.

~Peace Out


	3. Turn Your Heart into Stone

Saying goodbye was hard.

Mulan had never done it before. Last time, she had just up and left, leaving nothing but a token of her love for them behind. She hadn't even left a note. She knew they would understand what had happened when they discovered the armor and horse missing. It had been necessary then. Her family would never have allowed her to go. Of course, they weren't too willing this time around, but no one could defy the emperor.

And so Mulan had discovered that saying goodbye was hard.

Her mother had been the worst. Both her father and grandma had understood, had remained stoic and calm, if only for her sake. Her mother had sobbed. It was heart wrenching to see.

But of course, she had had to go, and she had only had a minute to spare them, the people who had raised her. Her father had placed the comb in her hair. She left it there, not willing to take it out.

Silence had fallen over the party, and Mulan could feel the waves of tension rolling off the people behind her. They were anxious, nervous to be in her presence, escorting her as they were. It seemed ironic. Here she was, perfectly able to take care of herself, and she was protected by men who probably had less training than her-she knew they had less _intensive_ training, unless theirs was also instructed by Shang.

Mulan knew why the emperor had sent them. As a woman, and a guest to his palace, she needed to be given a warm welcome, preferably by men armed to the teeth and riding impressively built white stallions. She just wondered why the emperor had chosen to take so _many_. It wasn't like she couldn't have made the journey alone (and she had before, when she had left the imperial palace), but more than that, she had a general with her! Did the emperor really think she would get into that much trouble?

On second thought, maybe she didn't want an answer to that.

Speaking of generals…

Shang had been cold towards her so far. She understood why of course. He was a general, and he had troops with him. Expressing any affection or favoritism towards anyone, especially Mulan, was bound to do more harm than good. Besides, a man and woman were not supposed to touch in any way before marriage, and though she and Shang had already broken that rule a few times, there was no need for anyone else to know that.

Mulan just hoped she got the chance to talk to him alone soon.

After an hour of riding, Shang had finally broken the icy silence and started asking Mulan questions about her health and so on. He didn't ask anything personal, and she didn't offer. Their conversation would have been very normal for two comrades who hadn't seen each other in a while, though it had only been about a month. The relationship that she and Shang presented to the outside world, and especially in front of soldiers, should be nothing but professional. After all, everything was an act for them. Mulan could do nothing that could give her a bad reputation. It would spread like wildfire.

Yes, Mulan would be under constant scrutiny for a while now. Hopefully, if she gained her comrade's trust, she would be able to loosen up, but she also knew that there would be those who would wait for her to fail until the day she died.

When dusk finally fell, they had made excellent time. They had covered almost a full day's ride in half the time, and Shang was pleased. There was a large clearing where they had decided to set up camp.

After the horses had been tended to, a fire built, and tents pitched, the entire company sat around the campfire in silence. Unsurprisingly, as soon as dinner had been finished, every person left, save Mulan and Shang.

After a few minutes of staring at each other over the fire, both grinning madly, Shang came to sit next to Mulan. Most likely the other soldiers would have better things to do than spy on their general and the savior of all China. Like sleep.

"Well they sure left in a hurry," Mulan said quietly. Of course, she knew why. This trip had been awkward at best so far, and the campfire had been no different.

"Don't worry about them. I'm sure they'll warm up to you eventually."

She shook her head, "It's possible, but unless I single-handedly save all of China again, and this time right in front of their noses, I highly doubt that I will be redeemed in their eyes."

Shang laughed a little, but both knew that the comment was too true to really be taken as a joke. Something changed in his eyes, and she saw sympathy practically pour out of him. "I'm sorry you have to endure it."

Mulan smiled at him and made a dismissive gesture, "It's not your fault Shang. I'm sure you've done everything in your power to make them treat me well. I thank you for that."

He smiled a little, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Speaking of which, his eyes, which had been cold and detached all day, were now warm and full of life. He looked happier than he had all day.

"Your hair is longer," he said suddenly.

She nodded. Her hair grew very fast, and it was already almost back to its original length. "Yes, I prefer it to be longer, but I should probably cut it now that I'm back in the army."

Shang shook his head. "No, keep it. It suits you."

She sighed, "Maybe, but if I'm going to be in the army, then I can't have hair in my face."

The general looked at her dubiously, "I'm sure there must be some way of tying it back so it can't get in your way."

She shrugged, "Probably."

Suddenly, Shang reached out towards her hair. She raised her eyebrows. It wasn't like they hadn't ever been this close before, but the mood had definitely not been…quite so intimate, and frankly, she didn't want any curious eyes peering at them through their tents. This would look highly suspicious. Rumors of their romantic relationship would start, and she really didn't need that.

"Shang…" She said in warning. He stopped immediately.

"What?" He asked, and then seemed to realize what he was doing. "Oh. Sorry, I was reaching for your pins."

She looked up, as if she could see the pins that she knew resided there. She took them out and handed them to Shang.

"Be careful with those. They're the only ones I brought with me. Can't be seeing the emperor without some semblance of feminine attire, you know."

He laughed, "Don't worry; I'm known to have pretty good hand-eye coordination."

She laughed a little. "Really now?"

He laughed too, "Oh yes, best in my squad."

She grinned, "Second best, you mean. I hear that young man Ping is quite something."

He grinned back, and for a moment all they could do was stare at each other before breaking out into a fit of quiet laughter.

After a minute or two, their episode passed, Shang still fingering the carved pins gently.

"There was a reason for this, you know."

She smiled at him. "And what might that be?"

He seemed to grow a little more serious, though the mirth stayed in his eyes.

"I thought you could use it to hold your hair back somehow. If you braided it, and held it back with your pins, you wouldn't have to cut it."

Another grin spread across her face, and she suddenly wished that she wasn't sitting in the middle of a camp full of very possible eavesdroppers and spies. Mulan very much wanted to hug him.

"Thank you, Shang."

He looked utterly surprised, and more than a little confused, "For what?"

She lowered her voice a little. Her next words were too private for others to hear, "For thinking of me."

He looked a little surprised but smiled nonetheless. "Of course."

If they had been anywhere else, Mulan knew they would be kissing right now.

This moment had to break. Otherwise neither of them would be able to control themselves. She could already see Shang cracking.

She sat up and away from him. "But I don't think I'll be able to wear them in battle. It would fall off too easily."

Shang looked surprised, "Really?"

Mulan almost laughed again, but instead said gently, "They do not expect the wearer to be doing martial arts when making these things. It is a fairly feminine token."

Shang blushed a little, from what she could only assume was sheepishness or embarrassment. "Oh, right."

"The braid is a nice idea though. I might try it."

The general nodded, apparently glad to be of some use. Suddenly he looked very uncomfortable.

Sensing the change in atmosphere, she glanced at Shang. His dark gaze had always been intense, but lately they had also contained the compassion and kindness that Mulan knew he always had. "Mulan, you do know that I can't behave normally to you in front of the other soldiers, right? You know why?"

She nodded vigorously, "Yes, of course. I must do the same. It would be wrong for us to be caught together. It would make all of the prejudices against me worsen, and you might also loose the respect of your soldiers. Neither would be very good for us."

Shang looked appeased, but a dark look crossed his face, "It is wrong to have to hide our relationship. There is nothing wrong with it."

Mulan sighed, "No, absolutely nothing." Shang visibly relaxed at this, which is why she couldn't resist tacking on the last bit. "Except for the fact that I am a very unconventional woman, and you a highly respected man, and our relationship has already crossed several traditional boundaries. Other than that though, we're golden."

He stared at her a moment before bursting out into laughter. "Is that all?"

She grinned at him, happy that she was able to lift the mood a little. It was hard being the comedian.

Speaking of which…

"Hey, where's Ling, Yao and Chien-Po? I would have thought they would escort me."

Shang sighed, "Oh they wanted to. In fact they begged the emperor to let them, but he refused. All of these men are hand-picked by the emperor for this task."

Mulan nodded, the seriousness of that statement weighing on her, "That is a great honor."

Shang nodded too. "Yes. Though I don't know why he chose so _many_."

"I was wondering the same," Mulan muttered, "I hope the boys didn't take it personally. Where are they now then?"

He bobbed his head in an acknowledging gesture. "Don't worry, they didn't. Those three will be back at camp soon after we get there."

Mulan perked up. She hadn't heard anything pertaining to what was going on. All she had were guesses. "So you know what's happening then?"

Shang looked very much like he wished he hadn't said anything. "I…suppose…"

Mulan wasn't about to let this opportunity slide. She _needed_ to know what was going on. "Tell me!"

He looked at her apologetically, and before the words even came out of his mouth, she knew what he was going to say. "I can't Mulan. It's against orders. The emperor wanted to tell you himself."

She sighed, but was resigned to fate. She wasn't going to make Shang chose between her and his duty. She knew Shang would eventually choose to tell her, but she also knew that Shang would drive himself mad with guilt if he disobeyed a direct order.

And she wasn't going to let Shang get in trouble with the emperor. He only got his promotion a few months ago, and she was not going to let him risk it for her sake.

Shang suddenly stood. "I'm taking first watch," he declared, "Get some sleep. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Mulan winced. He was right. Not only were they almost a week away from the Imperial City, but they had to ride with their silent and extremely prejudice entourage.

She stood as well and walked over to her tent. Her pitching skills had improved somewhat since her first days in the Wu Zhong camp, and it was closer to Shang's, though a little ways out of the circle of tents. Now that they all knew she was female, she would have to be on guard, and if any offenders wanted to get near her, they would have to come in front of Shang's tent as well, not to mention the night watchman.

Unless it was the night watchman.

Mulan shivered at the thought. It didn't matter. She had a knife that she had taken to sleeping with at Wu Zhong in case something like this ever happened, and found that she never relaxed enough to go to sleep when she didn't have it with her.

As soon as she entered, Mulan shrugged off the top half of her robes and pulled on a night shirt. She did not light a candle. Her shadow would be far too revealing to anyone outside the tent to be comfortable or appropriate.

Mulan lay back on her sleeping mat, content for the moment. The latches on her tent were impossible to open from the outside without a knife, she had one under her pillow, and if worst came to worst, Shang was only a few yards away. That alone made her feel safer.

But it was very quiet.

She did not like quiet. It reminded her too much of the epitome of womanhood, which she would never be. She was not feminine enough.

Last time she had never been truly alone. Mushu had resided in her tent, or in her collar, and that little cricket. The guardian had kept up a constant stream of chatter in her ear and kept her spirits up. And her tent had never been quiet.

But Mushu wasn't here this time.

It wasn't that she had no need for a guardian. Ancestors knew she did now more than ever. She had simply told Mushu, under no uncertain circumstances, that this journey had to be undertaken as a solo mission.

He hadn't liked it, but he had agreed.

So Mulan was on her own.

And it was too quiet.

She was just about to go ask Shang if she could do a watch rotation when she heard a low whicker outside her tent. Khan had always had a very distinctive whinny. And he had impeccable timing.

It wasn't quite so quiet anymore.

Mulan rolled over and slept.

* * *

a/n-Two in one day! I'm proud of myself. Anyways, same song different verse. I like this version better than the original, blah blah blah...hope you enjoyed it, blah blah blah...

anyways, read and review!

~Peace Out


	4. Chapter 4

_**I. Am. **_**So**_**. Sorry.**_

_**What has it been, almost two weeks? I'm evil. I even left you hanging with the fight! My only redeeming fact is that I wasn't doing it to get reviews or anything (though all reviews were highly appreciated), I just got my laptop taken away. hehe.**_

_**So now that I've groveled a bit, on with the story!**_

* * *

Shang had never seen such idiotic and sexist prejudices as those that were being raised against Mulan on this trip.

That morning, so many of the men had picked on her that Shang hadn't been sure it was really happening at first. They would bully her in indirect ways that couldn't be pinpointed. It wasn't like what Ling and Yao had done to her in the beginning of training, where you could figure out who had done it if you just paid attention for a few moments. No, these were things designed just to dishearten Mulan.

For one thing, they had made breakfast so early that even Shang hadn't woken up yet, and then cleaned up everything before Mulan had even gotten out of her tent. As Ping, she had almost always been late. Today, even though she had been on time, she had been berated for waking so late and slowing the whole party down. Shang had managed to grab a cold biscuit for her, but it was hardly enough for a young girl when she had a whole day of hard riding ahead. They had decided the night before that they would not stop for lunch, only three short breaks for the horses. Mulan would have to wait for dinner that night before she got any food.

Then someone had decided it would be a good idea to hide Mulan's saddle and bridle. They were finally found on their makeshift corral, outside, where they had gotten soaked from the rain the night before. Shang knew that Mulan had, without a doubt, placed her equipment inside her tent. He had watched her do it. Some idiot had snuck into her tent and put it on the rail just to make her life miserable, and make her look incompetent.

Though that turned out to backfire a little on whoever had pulled the stunt. Mulan could ride without a saddle and bridle just as efficiently as otherwise, and he had seen the surprise in many of his soldier's faces when she cheerily hopped up. The saddle and bridle were placed in the cart one of the secondary horses was carrying.

He was, as always when it came to Mulan, impressed with her riding skills. Khan was a spirited horse who seemed to have boundless energy, and even when they slowed to a walk the horse was prancing a bit, rearing to go. It wasn't that Khan was a bad horse, or that he wasn't listening, or that he was spooking all the time. It was simply that the horse could probably run full speed all the way to the Imperial Palace without breaking a sweat. He was a fine horse, and though excitable, Mulan kept him calm and controlled the entire time. Quick glances told him that the riders behind Mulan were also impressed by this. She could hold her own with these men, and now a few knew it.

When they stopped to water the horses, Shang was pleased to see that the two men that had ridden behind Shang and Mulan had come up to her with peace offerings in the form of food. All they had was a few chunks of dried meat, but it was almost certainly appreciated by Mulan, who had only had a few bites of bread before departing that morning.

Shang appreciated it too. Mulan was too thin to go days at a time without eating right. He most definitely didn't want her falling off her horse because she had fainted. Not only was the prospect bad because he just didn't want her injured, but if she did anything that could possibly be misconstrued as weakness, then it would be spread like wildfire. Falling off her horse in a dead faint was one of those things, and Mulan really didn't need any more problems with her escorts.

They had only stopped for ten minutes before Shang was calling for them to mount up again. Everyone was up in no time, and they were almost instantly off at a canter.

At this point, Shang was almost positive that Mulan could have made it to the Imperial City much quicker if she hadn't been dragged back by the fifteen other riders in the party. All Khan wanted to do was run, and though Mulan was managing to keep him calm and slow, every muscle in the horse was quivering with excitement. Even at a brisk canter for the other horses, Khan looked as if he was struggling to go slow enough to keep formation. Finally, Shang took pity on the poor horse and Mulan, for though she made it look easy, he knew that holding a horse back for so long was tiring.

"Mulan, scout ahead. You," He pointed to the man behind her. "go with her. Don't be gone for more than ten minutes."

He could swear that Khan, who had perked up when Shang had started speaking, had dropped his head in disappointment at the time limit. It was like the horse understood Chinese. Strange.

"General, I don't need company, and it will probably slow us down some." Mulan said with a slight look of disproval set into her mouth.

Now the day before, the soldiers would probably have been insulted and skeptical at Mulan's comment, but today, after seeing the magnificent horse with their own eyes, not a single man doubted her words.

That still didn't change the fact that this was dangerous territory, and though he knew Mulan was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, he wouldn't send anyone, let alone a seemingly defenseless young girl, out alone. Protocol demanded pairs, at the very least.

"He will tail you, go as fast as you wish."

Mulan nodded to him, and then looked to her new companion. He was one of the men who had given her a bit of food earlier, and Shang was sure he was beginning to gain a bit of respect for her. He nodded, and the pair rode in front of the rest of the party before Mulan nodded to the man and leaned forward a bit.

If he had blinked, Shang would have missed it.

The horse took off at his rider's cue, leaving its partner in the dust. In about five strides she was already out of their line of vision, leaving a hovering dust cloud in their wake.

Mulan's scouting partner looked to him in surprise, "Sir?"

Shang shrugged, "Go on then. You'll never catch her if you just stand there."

The man's eyes widened before spinning around and kicking his horse in the flank. The horse pranced a little before galloping off, but not nearly as fast as its black counterpart had been.

When both were out of sight, Shang turned back to his men. All were looking after their scouts' direction with a look of shock and awe on their faces, and Shang debated a moment before speaking. "Which one of you left her gear in the rain?"

He was pretty sure he would get an answer now. Mulan had managed to gain a bit of their respect just by riding her horse. It was why she had gotten a little breakfast this morning. He couldn't wait to see what would happen if they saw her in battle.

After much glaring from the rest of the group, two men raised their hands. Unsurprisingly, one was the man who had made the concubine comment the day before, Ti Hong. The other was the insufferable man's best friend.

"Come," He ordered. They obeyed.

"Let me make this very clear," he started, "If either of you are ever caught within ten feet of Fa Mulan's tent again, I will have you both dismissed for dishonorable conduct. Are we understood?"

Their eyes widened simultaneously, before Hong's narrowed. Dishonorable conduct meant that your ancestors were now dishonored as well. Their very memory was spit upon, and you became an outcast in society. Dishonor was the absolute worst punishment available. Death was more desirable.

As the time limit neared its end, Mulan raced around the corner ahead of them, her guardian tailing her a little ways behind. Mulan stopped before the party and waited patiently for her companion to catch up before casually trotting into line-up.

"General," She said with a nod. Shang fought to contain his smile.

Khan didn't have a drop of sweat on him. He wasn't even breathing hard. Mulan looked just as she had when she walked out of her tent that morning, not a hair out of place. The white imperial stallion that had accompanied the two, however, was absolutely drenched, and its rider was panting, probably with the effort of trying to egg his horse on faster and a small fear of falling off at the breakneck pace he had just been riding at.

"Fa," Shang acknowledged, still barely containing his grin.

"Nothing to report sir," She said. For a moment, Shang was confused, and then remembered that they were supposed to have been on a short scouting mission. It was a thinly veiled excuse for letting Mulan and her horse have a short break from the constant scrutiny of the men in their party, but it would work.

There was a sneer from behind them, "I doubt you could have noticed much at that speed."

Mulan didn't even spare a glance at the man, "Your trousers aren't tied."

The man snorted, and then the man riding next to him said, "Cho…she's right."

Shang didn't look back at them. If he saw the idiotic man scrambling to tie the laces of his pants, he would break down into hysterical laughter. Instead he glanced at Mulan, who was wearing a satisfied smirk as she rode her horse proudly next to his.

Mulan…she looked beautiful right now. She had worn the jade comb again today, pinning her hair out of her face, though it still wasn't long enough to be a real nuisance. She seemed to simply _glow_ with a strength and beauty that was completely unmatched. Shang was sure that he could search the entire world ten times over and never find a girl like her again.

When they finally stopped for the night, many of the men were grumbling about their empty stomachs. Shang wanted to hit them. They had deprived Mulan of her breakfast (though she had gotten some from both Shang and a two of their company who had taken pity on her, but that was beside the point), and they still had the gall to complain?

Mulan, however, did the perfect thing to diffuse the situation.

"Well if you're hungry you could always try _cooking._"

She had said it so innocently that at first the soldiers hadn't realized the barb. When they did, they looked up at her, mouths already working for a retort, when they saw her cleaning up a small cooking fire, empty bowl and chopsticks beside her.

"Yes?" She asked. Again, it was so innocent that even Shang had blinked. Mulan had set up her tent, taken care of her horse, built a fire, cooked and eaten before the rest of them had finished unpacking.

Oh yeah, she was definitely one of his best soldiers.

The men just stared at her, mouths agape, before she turned and walked over to the main fire pit that her scouting partner had just finished constructing. She very gently, and very inconspicuously, moved a few of the logs to allow for better air circulation, and sat at the fire pit, talking amiably with the other man, who seemed to have gained a very healthy amount of respect for her after their earlier ride.

The rest of the soldiers stood stock still for a full minute before simultaneously wheeling around to Shang with a mixture of anger, incredulity and awe on their faces.

Shang simply shrugged, trying and failing to conceal his mirth at the entire situation. The poor saps had no idea of what they were reckoning with when it came to Mulan.

Anyways, after that, each man had cooked his own food and one by one joined Mulan and her companion by the fire pit in the center of camp.

Tonight, everyone was much more social. Though some still refused to speak with Mulan (Hong and his buddies among them), most started asking her questions about Khan, her time at Wu Zhong, the battle at the Tung Shao Pass, the revealing of her womanhood, and how she had managed to save China and the Emperor at the Imperial City.

Shang watched her throughout her talking, pretending to be riveted to what she was saying. He had been there for almost all of it, so he really didn't think he needed to listen too intently. Not when there were more important things to think about. Like the way Mulan's lips were moving right now…the rise and fall of her voice as she told her story…the way the firelight reflected in her eyes...

He snapped back to reality when he realized that everyone in the camp was staring at him.

Mulan seemed to realize this and saved him some embarrassment by saying, "Well, General Li? Would you like to spar?"

Shang raised his eyebrows incredulously. Mulan had been the best martial artist in the entire camp, and the only one who could really stand a chance against Shang. However, as the weeks of training went on, Mulan had progressed in her skills and had come very close to, if not matching, Shang's level. His jaw had stung for three days after that kick she delivered.

And then he realized how good this would be for Mulan. If the men saw her in action, saw her skills, then their respect for her would grow even more.

He nodded and led the way over to a patch of grass that hadn't been used for camping. It was out of the way of the fire, so not only would he and Mulan be fighting in the dark, but all of their audience was forced to move. Two brought torches, but Shang wasn't entirely sure that would be good for their fight. The flickering light would throw off depth perception, and Shang really didn't want to blacken Mulan's eye again.

Not that he expected this to be an easy win for him. Unless Shang wanted to be beaten mercilessly, he was going to have to go all out.

When he turned to face Mulan, all he found was empty space. He frowned and looked to the other soldiers for an explanation. One spoke up quickly.

"She said she had to put something in her tent."

In a minute, she had scampered back into the little ring that they had formed around Shang, her hair now free of the comb. He understood immediately. He definitely did not want to tell her grandmother that the comb had broken thanks to Shang. The old lady seemed to like him, but that didn't mean she wouldn't beat him with a broom every day until she died if he fell out of her good graces.

Mulan stood across from him, a hint of a smile tracing her features.

"I should warn you," She said, "My father has taught me a few things in the past month."

Shang grinned, "But you haven't been sparring with anyone, and most likely haven't been doing rigorous training every day. The advantage still goes to me."

She smirked, "We'll see about that."

A series of oooos traveled around the circle, and Shang began to get a little curious. If Mulan was so confident, he was in big trouble.

They each assumed a fighting stance. Shang in position number three (1), Mulan in a pose he had never seen her use before. It was called the Crane's Dance (2), and it was reserved for the most experienced fighters. It was considered very hard to master, and Shang was a bit surprised that the old general had taught her this. It was like he was encouraging her to fight…

But then it all made sense.

Fa Zhao had expected this to happen. He had known, probably from the moment he had seen the emperor's crest on that medallion, that Mulan would one day return to battle. He had done everything in his power to prepare her and keep her safe when he no longer could. The old man had probably been showing her his old fighting style, which seemed to be the Crane's Dance.

From what Shang knew of Mulan's fighting style (and this was a lot), the Crane's Dance would be perfect for her. She was small, and therefore agile and quick. She was also very flexible, if that high-kick she had dealt him in training was anything to go by. The Crane's Dance would work with all of those strengths while also making up for her lack of raw power and small size.

Fa Zhao had chosen well.

He was a bit surprised she was using it though. She had only a month to learn it all, and it had taken her almost two to master the more basic levels. If she was confident enough to use it this quickly, she must have taken to it very naturally.

"Cho," He said, "Start us off."

The man cleared his throat, "Begin."

Mulan, ever the surprise, had immediately jumped and spun in mid-air, delivering what would have been a very potent kick to the ribs, but Shang had managed to knock himself almost flat while still keeping his balance on his feet. He quickly jumped back up again and went on the offensive, using every ounce of momentum and raw strength he had to throw a very fast punch towards Mulan's stomach. She twisted out of the way at the very last second and ducked down again to deliver another spinning kick, this time to the back of his legs.

Due to the severe angle that Shang had had to use to even get at Mulan's stomach, he was set off balance. However, he was waiting for her to use that kick, as it was one of her signature moves. He managed to use his momentum to propel himself forward, rolling on the grass before springing to his feet and going back at Mulan again. He contained a grin.

Mulan had left an opening in her defense, and he knew just how to play it.

Shang stepped forward with his right leg, placing it under her left knee to break her stance before delivering another blow. She didn't even seem fazed when her stance broke, as she moved on without hesitation to the next position. Shang still delivered his next blow, an open palm shove against her sternum. She dodged it, but in the same movement, she also used his now outstretched leg to get inside his range before slamming every ounce of her weight against his torso, while also using her knee on his left hip to help push him over.

Shang bit back a curse. He had forgotten that the Crane's Dance had been designed for people like Mulan. Having her stance broken was supposed to set her off balance, rendering her incapable of fighting. But the people who practiced the Crane's Dance used it to their opponent's disadvantage. They learned to move from stance to stance so rapidly that the masters of the technique could move through all fifty four (3) of their movements in under ten seconds. If one position was broken, they could move on to the next without hesitation, and hopefully use their opponent's momentary unbalance to win.

Shang had played right into her hands.

But even as he was falling, he had a plan.

Mulan had thrown everything into this attack, and she had no way to get back up once they fell. She would fall right on top of him, and if all went according to plan, he could twist her around enough to pin her under him.

He never got the chance.

In mid-air, Mulan kicked herself off of Shang as if he was a spring board, and twisted through the air until she landed gracefully on her feet just a yard or two away.

Again, Shang had to bite his tongue. Foul words would not help this situation.

But seriously, did she have to use him as a launch pad?

Shang was already prepared to roll backwards as he hit the ground, and somersaulted backwards and up to his feet.

They continued like that for several minutes, Mulan's movement's filled with the gracefulness of a dancer, and the lethality of a seasoned warrior, while Shang's every step commanded power and a cunning seriousness. As the fight progressed, their movements picked up pace, going faster and faster as they spun around each other, both trying to land a hit, to take the other down. It was almost like a dance, the way they spun and twisted out of each other's grasp. The onlookers had to pay close attention to see who was getting the upper hand. No one could deny that they were impressed. They had never seen their commanding officer fight like this before, as no one had ever posed enough of a challenge. And then for this girl, this tiny slip of a girl, to present the challenge that he needed to show his true strength…they were impressed indeed.

Finally, Shang watched helplessly as Mulan flipped over him and started to come down close enough behind him that he felt her robes brush his bare skinned back. As she fell, she wrapped her arm around his throat, and yanked down for all she was worth and kicked the back of his knees. As a natural reaction to being choked, Shang felt his body try to follow Mulan's arm as she pulled him flat on his back. Before he knew it, she was sitting on top of his chest, knees pinning his shoulders, with one hand at his throat and the other poised to deliver a very thorough punch to the eye.

Silence.

Not a single person in their audience had expected this outcome. The only ones who had known of the possibility were the fighters, and even then, they had known it was a fifty-fifty chance.

Well, Shang had thought it was a fifty-fifty chance.

The next thing he noticed was that Mulan was, in fact, sitting on his bare chest. The feeling of her weight settled on his was causing very inappropriate and unwanted (though not unpleasant) images to course through his brain. And a tightening sensation in his lower half was telling him that his body very much liked the new position they were in.

He suppressed a groan. If she didn't get off soon, there was going to be a problem.

Mulan was staring him in the eye though, not moving a muscle. After thirty more seconds of silence, she spoke.

"Cho," she prompted, "call the match."

The man cleared his thoat a little, apparently over the whole trouser laces incident earlier. "Match goes to Fa Mulan."

She grinned at Shang and got off of him. He very nearly sighed in relief.

When they were both standing, he grinned at her, "You picked up the Crane's Dance in a month?"

There were a few gasps all around before she answered with a shrug. "My father says I'm a natural at it. He was surprised I took to it so well."

Shang laughed. _Of course_ she had. She was Mulan. He gave her a small grin, a thought coming to mind, "Well, you fight good." he said, and gave her a rough pat on the shoulder that very nearly knocked her down.

She glanced up at him with a scowl and looked as if she was about to retort before she saw the mirth in his eyes and laughed.

Shang loved her laugh. It was such a sweet, chiming sound. He'd be damned if he didn't make her laugh every day for the rest of his life.

Suddenly, Shang realized that he was being far too personal with Mulan in front of his men. Even though the rest of their party undoubtedly knew that Shang was courting Mulan (it had hardly been a state secret. They had made the mistake of telling Yao, Ling and Chien-po, who told everybody else), but he still had to behave professionally in front of them. He hated it.

He drew back from her, tried to wipe off all emotion from his face. He must have done a good job of it, because Mulan went from surprised, to confused, to attaining a look of comprehension, to putting on her own political mask.

It looked so _wrong_ on her. Mulan was one of those people who you wanted to express themselves, no matter the situation. Shang looked away.

Finally, the circle around them broke, and Mulan had yawned, saying something about getting ready for an early morning. Shang silently agreed, and walked to his own tent, but trailing a few steps behind Mulan, just to make sure she safely made it to her little living quarters.

He turned in for the night, but he couldn't sleep and instead listened for the sound of someone passing by his tent. If they went by his own dwelling, then the only destination they could possibly have was Mulan's tent.

It wasn't until the last of the men turned in for the night that he fell asleep, thinking about how beautiful Mulan had looked in the firelight.

* * *

_**a/n**_

_**(1) I know nothing about fighting or martial arts. Its all for the benifit of the story.**_

_**(2) This is a completely made up technique that I used for the benifit of the story. If there's actually a martial arts form called the Crane's Dance, then it has nothing to do with this.**_

_**(3) Totally made up number. It just sounded impressive.**_

_**Aww...sappy Shang, what would we do without him? Anyways, those of you that guessed all guessed right. Mulan won. Yay! Props to you!**_

_**One of you guys asked if Mushu was going to be a part of this story, and I've decided against it. We already have enough sidekicks to our heroine in the forms of Yao, Ling and Chien-Po. We don't need another one. Besides, I have absolutely no idea how to write him. Believe me, I considered it, but my sense of humor is not compatable with the little red lizard. So sorry if you've been waiting for him, but he's not coming. It wouldn't add anything to the story.**_

_**Anyways, I'm really glad so many of you are enjoying the story. Its great to hear from you, so please leave a review! Especially on the fight scene. Not sure how it turned out but I'm being optimistic about it and thinking that it was at least halfway decent. So please, tell me what you think!**_


	5. Chapter 5

The next three days of travel passed much like the first two.

The entire trip had taken five days, and though no more tricks were pulled on Mulan, about half the men still made their displeasure with her known. The other half seemed to have taken a great liking to her after their second day, and her spar with Shang. The atmosphere was much friendlier now, and far more comfortable for all involved.

They traveled without incident to the Imperial City, and for that Mulan was glad. She hoped to get at least a little training in before she needed to fight someone in real life.

Then again, if her performance with Shang was anything to go by, she would be perfectly alright no matter what.

It was true that her father had taught her a new style of fighting. He had known, as she had, that one day Mulan would return to the front lines, and he had wanted to prepare her for that. Along with improving her martial arts skills (which were apparently the Fa family's strength), he had refined her swordsmanship as well. The fact that her father had taken the time to do so was touching, and Mulan felt more connected to him now than she had on her last trip from home.

As they approached the city, Mulan felt expectation settle on her shoulders and excitement drop into her stomach. Expectation because she knew that the people of the city would want something from her, being their hero, and Mulan wasn't entirely sure what. Did they want her to be regal, imposing like a woman of nobility? Someone they could lift on their shoulders and be proud of? Or did they want the common girl, meek and unassuming? Mulan had asked Shang about this the day before and he had told her to simply be herself, and be confident. It was easier said than done.

Mulan supposed the excitement came from her thirst for adventure, from knowing that the Imperial City would be the starting point for her next endeavor through the Chinese army.

Either way, with every step they took towards the city, the more excited she became and the more the fluttering feeling in her stomach grew. She turned to Shang, gave him a small smile, and waited with baited breath to arrive in the city.

As they walked through the lower town, the crowds parted for their party. When they arrived at the gates of the Forbidden City, musicians and street performers joined them and escorted them to the palace, much like they had Shang and the gang of three after they had left Mulan in the mountains.

It all seemed very pompous and extravagant to Mulan. After all, the performers were only denoting Mulan's arrival. She hadn't done anything to deserve it, unlike her comrades on their first time through. All it did was make the weight of expectation settle more heavily on her shoulders. These people just expected so _much_ of her…

Mulan didn't let her unease show. She held her chin high and sat tall on her horse, who was stepping as regally as any finely bred stallion of the emperor's. Mulan didn't want to appear aloof and uncaring though, and smiled at anyone who waved.

In no time, it seemed, they were dismounting (they were swarmed immediately by stable hands, whom Khan was less than pleased to go with) and being led up to the steps of the Imperial Palace, where they were greeted by a messenger.

"General Li?" The messenger asked, turning to Shang. He nodded. "Fa Mulan?" Mulan copied Shang's movements. "We have been expecting you."

The messenger turned, gesturing for Mulan and Shang to follow. The rest of their party either waved or sulked at her, and she was surprised to find that she was a little disappointed to leave some behind. She hadn't developed any close friendships, and half of those men were just plain rude to her. In any case, she would probably never see them again. She nodded to them and walked side by side with Shang into the palace.

The last time she was here, she hadn't exactly had time to admire it. Now, it was all she could do to avoid gaping at everything as she passed the splendors of the Imperial palace. The pillars plated with gold, the exquisite paintings of past rulers that looked imposing enough to conquer armies with a glance, the rich colors of the rugs and tapestries, the beautiful wood that was so well polished Mulan was sure she could see her reflection in it, the gold trim in the walls, the sculptures…it was all so much more than what Mulan was used to, and her awe was not easy to hide.

Although, on the other hand, it also seemed a little wasteful. Beautiful the palace may be, and certainly impressive to passing dignitaries, but it also served as a glaring reminder of class separation. Not two miles away, there were people who were struggling to pay their taxes (which paid for this palace) and starving themselves so their children could eat. Why did the emperor and all his court deserve such finery when the people they ruled over were dying to give it to them?

Of course, Mulan would never voice these things aloud-at least not to anyone even remotely connected to the palace-but as she thought about them, it became much easier not to stare at everything with such awe and it became harder not to look at it in disgust.

After walking what seemed like miles, they finally found themselves at a pair of gold plated double doors (what else?). A man with some parchment and a quill asked their names before allowing them entrance. When he heard Mulan's name, one of his eyebrows arched up. Mulan chose to ignore it.

When the mighty doors swung open, the man stepped forward and announced their arrival. He stepped out of the way and Shang and Mulan walked through the doors together.

This was important, Mulan knew. Traditionally, the proper place for a woman to be when walking with a man was behind them, especially if the difference in ranks was as vast a gap as the difference between her and Shang. By presenting themselves side by side, as equals, they were bolstering her standing in court. Most of these men trusted Shang and his judgment, and if they saw him acknowledge her as he would any other soldier, many more would trust her.

Of course, there would always be those like Chi Fu, who was currently standing at the emperor's right, writing slate in hand, with a sneer evident on his face.

The court hall was as grand as the rest of the palace, with the wood floors exchanged for a clean white marble, and the ceilings were so high that Mulan would have had to bend over backwards just to see the top. Laid out in front of them was a long red carpet, leading directly to the emperor's throne.

As Mulan walked, she could feel every eye in the place on her, like they were boring a hole straight through her. It was nerve wracking, but Mulan forced herself to ignore them and look only at the emperor, as it was customary to do.

When they came to be an acceptable distance in front of the throne, both Mulan and Shang knelt, face touching the floor, a sign of their boundless loyalty to their monarch.

Or at least they meant to.

As soon as they started to kneel, the emperor spoke. "Don't. There is to much to discuss to be practicing formalities and stuffy old rules. Stand."

The two warriors complied. Mulan had the sudden urge to raise an eyebrow at Shang, but she remembered where she was, and kept her gaze locked on the emperor.

"General Li, how was your trip?" The old man asked.

"Successful and unhindered by outside forces sir," Shang replied. Again, Mulan had to stop her emotions from playing out across her face. Why would Shang have said unhindered by _outside_ forces? It was an unnecessary word, and that was very unlike Shang when he was in 'General Mode'. He was always so direct and to the point.

Of course, that meant that he had intentionally said it, which meant he was referring to the way some of the soldiers in their party had acted towards Mulan.

Oh Shang…

It wouldn't be good for all of these nobles to hear what had caused problems. Most likely, they would blame it all on Mulan's womanhood, saying that it was not natural for men to work with women in these types of situations. They would blame the men's misbehaviors on her, and it would definitely not help her reputation. Courtiers talked too, and their whispers were even worse than that of a soldier's.

The emperor seemed to realize this and didn't ask any questions, but instead turned his gaze to Mulan. "Hello, Fa Mulan. I trust your trip was well?"

"Yes, sir." She answered.

"Good. Do you, perhaps, know the reason you were brought here?"

This question was surprising. It was true that in his letter, he hadn't specifically mentioned what she was brought to the Imperial City to do. And Mulan knew that she had done a little deciphering herself, but she was fairly certain that anyone could have figured it out. Or at least, anyone with military training and a basic idea of how court worked.

"I was under the impression that I had been brought back to serve under your majesty in the military."

The emperor nodded, seemingly pleased, "You see, Chi Fu? She is a smart girl. Not many would have deciphered that from my message. It was rather…cryptic."

Shang spoke now, "Sir, do you mean to say that Fa Mulan had come here without a reason?"

It sounded accusatory, not to mention that Shang had just spoken out of turn. Ever so quietly, so that no one else would hear, Mulan whispered a warning out of the corner of her mouth, "Shang…"

He didn't acknowledge her, but he did stop talking. This was good. If he had turned towards her, it would have looked like a private conversation that was happening in the middle of court. It would mean that he was acknowledging her over the emperor, and that would make her look very dangerous to every person in the room.

"Yes, or at least, without definitive reason. For that, Fa Mulan, I apologize."

Mulan blinked, and in her peripheral vision, she saw many people's jaws drop in disbelief. The _emperor_ had just _apologized_ to a _woman_! But Mulan kept her head, "Your apology is accepted and appreciated, your majesty"

The emperor nodded, looking pleased. "I did make it vague on purpose, you know. Some of my council had doubts of your intellect. It was a small test I designed that I believed would help ease their concerns. Now, onto different business." The emperor stood from his throne and walked towards Shang and Mulan. "I don't suppose you know why we need to put a military together again?"

He was still speaking to Mulan, "No sir."

The emperor again looked pleased, "I see. Thank you for following orders General." Shang nodded in acknowledgment. He seemed a bit afraid to speak after his earlier outburst. "I have brought you here, Fa Mulan, to help us fight a new threat that has the potential to destroy all of China. His name is Attila (1), and he is a new Hun leader that is far more ruthless and cunning than Shan-Yu ever was."

Mulan couldn't stop her eyes from widening in surprise. "A new leader has already risen? It has only been a month!"

The emperor nodded in assent, and was about to speak when he was interrupted.

It was none other than the rat himself, Chi Fu.

"And why, young lady, would a new leader arise at all? Are you perhaps rooting for them to succeed?"

Mulan didn't answer and instead looked to the emperor for permission to speak. A look of slight annoyance passed over his face, but he nodded to her.

"The Huns are not an organized military, like that of China's. They are a group of skilled men who are bloodthirsty and power hungry. It is only logical to think that there would be more than one leader among them. As our army has many generals, each with their own army under their command, I believe Shan-Yu was something like a general, one of many. The difference is that no one of higher power placed Shan-Yu above his fellows. He somehow convinced them to follow him.

"But not every Hun was loyal to _him_. There would have been other leaders, people who had their own following. I realized this when I saw the size of the Hun army that Shan-Yu was leading. It was not big enough to be the entire Hun army, or they could not pose such a threat to your majesty and China. If this Attila managed to secure his leadership so quickly, he must have found some way for all of his opponents to swear loyalty to him.

"And to answer your question, councilor Chi Fu, no, I have no love or loyalty for the Huns. My alleigence lies with China and with our emperor. Anyone who can use simple logic and observation skills would have been able to figure it out."

At this point, every person in the room was staring at her in disbelief. Even Shang, who had born witness to her brilliance before, was looking at her with awe and…something else unreadable. It was kind, but after a full thirty seconds passed with silence, Mulan was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

Finally, Chi Fu seemed to snap out of it. "And why would Attila have bothered to gain his opponents loyalty? Would it not be simpler to just kill them?" He sneered, thinking he had won the argument.

Mulan had to control herself. She would not make enemies in court if she could help it. She had enough to worry about. Instead, she answered carefully. "It would be simpler, but then he would not have the loyalty of the rest of the Huns. No doubt other leaders would arise. Some are loyal to Attila, but at this point most are loyal to the leaders that he has somehow gained control over. I have no doubt that once he has gained the rest of the Hun's trust and loyalty that he will kill the other leaders, and probably tell his soldiers that they were plotting to kill him to keep them from revolting. A Hun chooses sides based on who can gain him the most power. They have no sense of duty or honor, as the noble soldiers of China do."

Again, everyone stared at her, but this time it was only for about ten seconds. This time, the emperor was the first to speak. "Very well. Now that I think you have proven yourself worthy to everyone in this room, I would like to speak to you about a promotion, from soldier to officer. Your new rank will be captain, and you will serve under your old commanding officer, General Li. Do you have any objections to this?"

Mulan was shocked. Not only was the emperor inviting her back here to serve, but he was making her a commanding officer as well! It took her a moment to answer. "N-No, sir. Thank you, your excellency."

Well this explained a lot. Like how some glares had been sent her way from the moment she set foot into the room, how half the men in her party had detested her very presence. It wasn't just that she was female anymore. It was that a woman was going to be a commanding officer in the Chinese Military, and many men would be very reluctant to follow orders from her.

The emperor nodded, apparently pleased with how it had turned out. "General Li, Captain Fa, you will report to the Wu Zhong camp on the morning of the third day from now. I realize this means that you must travel through the night, but the new recruits arrive tomorrow afternoon. We lost many great men in the last war, and as a result, you will get many older recruits, as well as the ones that were trained last time. It should be much easier for you, General and Captain. I would expect them to be trained in two months' time; else all of China will fail."

Shang and Mulan bowed. "Yes sir, we will have it done."

"I know you will. Good luck general, captain."

And with that they knew they were dismissed.

* * *

**a/n**

**(1) Yes, I know that Attila the Hun was an actual person. All I really know about him is this: His favorite form of torture was riping people's limbs off. He was a Hun. He was, at some point, alive. I needed a name, and I used his. Anything you read about him in this story is complete fiction. Alright? Not. Real.**

**Its here!**** I had _a lot_ of time on my hands in the last week. Guess who managed to get the flu? **

**Anyways, this chapter introduces another well-loved character: the emperor. Unfortunately, I think that this is all we're going to see of him. He's a busy guy, and he doesn't have time to keep an eye on our heroine all the time. *shrugs*. Plus, there's the little matter of him not having anything to do with the plot.**

**So anywho, tell me how I did in a review and thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

He really hated court.

Was it not enough that they had more money, more privilege than 97% of China? Did they have to try and make everyone else's lives miserable? With these things on his mind, it made it hard to act calmly in court.

But not for Mulan.

How the woman had come up with such poise and discipline, enough to impress the court, was a mystery to him. Mulan was one of the most outspoken people he had ever met, and for her to actually get through an entire conversation without speaking out of turn (according to traditional Chinese customs) was almost unheard of.

Of course, she _had_ been speaking to the emperor. That probably had something to do with it.

And speaking of the emperor…

The man was a master manipulator. He knew now why he had hand-picked the men that Shang had taken to get Mulan. It had seemed excessive and very strange at the time, but now he understood.

The emperor had wanted to see how Mulan would do with constant prejudice thrown at her. Was the man endlessly testing her? First the note, now her entourage? What next?

Well, suffice it to say, Shang believed she had passed. Within five days, half of the men became almost as devoted to her as the rest of the Wu Zhong camp had been after her reveal. She had done well, and Shang was glad for it.

He also felt a bit guilty. After what he had done to Hong, those loyal to him had refused to be swayed. Mulan would have probably won almost all of them over if he hadn't shamed and embarrassed that man. He would have to apologize later, because now would definitely be an inopportune time.

Walking out of the castle, there were three guards flanking him, and Mulan was walking calmly by his side, though she was setting the pace, as if she was in a hurry. She must have been nervous too, if not more so. It was good to know that he wasn't the only one anxious to get out of this place.

In what seemed to be an infinitely shorter walk, they were once again at the large stone steps that adorned the palace exterior. Shang turned to the guard on his right.

"Point us in the direction of the stables."

Mulan looked up at him and shot him a bit of a look, and he had absolutely no idea why. Apparently realizing this, Mulan rolled her eyes and said, "Please."

Shang had to stop himself from gaping at her. Please? Really? She wanted to exercise proper manners to a castle guard? Really?

Then again, this _was_ Mulan so he really shouldn't be surprised.

Either way, Mulan really didn't seem to care if he approved or not.

And that seemed to really irritate one of the other guards on duty.

That is, if his open hand flying towards Mulan's cheek was anything to go by.

Mulan ducked easily and sidestepped him. The man blinked and then lunged toward her again. Shang, while knowing that Mulan could take care of herself, stepped in between them and twisted the man's arm behind his back. He looked to the other two guards, who seemed confused and tense. Shang nodded to them.

"Hold him." Shang could hear the anger in his own voice. The two guards flinched and rushed to do as asked.

Shang looked down at the man who had been forced to kneel before him and Mulan. He could feel how uncomfortable Mulan was with the submissive pose, but took no heed. She was a captain now. She had to get used to it.

"Why would you attack an officer?" Shang asked. The man's eyes widened.

"Officer?" His voice was probably higher-pitched than normal. Shang knew why. The penalty for attacking an officer was death.

"As directly promoted by the emperor. Now answer the question."

The man paled. "She spoke out of turn, General, and was not showing the proper respect to you as a woman should."

Shang felt his fury roll inside him. The idiot man was referring to the fact that he and Mulan were walking side by side, instead of single file, as was customary. "She was walking beside me as a captain would with their general. Is that disrespectful?"

The man gulped. "No sir."

"And as a captain, did she speak out of turn?"

Shang could see the man shaking. "N-no sir."

"So I do not understand why you would say she was behaving with disrespect, especially when it is you who was not behaving with respect towards an officer."

"I wasn't thinking clearly sir."

Shang felt his fury rise up again. It was crashing around inside of him, demanding to break free.

"No, I suppose you weren't." Shang drew his sword and stepped toward the man, intending to spill his blood right there on the stone steps of the palace. All he could think of, all he could see was the man lunging at Mulan, endangering her safety, trying to _hurt_ her...

Someone stepped between them.

Of course, it was Mulan.

She stood in front of the man who had attacked her, who was now waiting to die by the hands of General Li. Her arms were spread out, as if to make sure that Shang couldn't see the man she hid behind her. Of course, this was a rather pointless gesture, as Mulan was just a _tiny_ thing, and the man behind her weighed three times her weight, easily, and even kneeling his bulk was far too much for Mulan to shield from Shang's eye, but the meaning of the action was not lost on the general.

"Captain Fa, step aside. The law must be carried out."

Mulan shook her head, the stubborn little angel, "I'm afraid I can't do that General Li. This man's blood will not be spilt in my name."

Shang's fury and disbelief battled for dominance inside of him. The disbelief won. He couldn't stay angry when looking at her.

"You would protect a man who attacked you with no reason?"

Mulan shook her head, "He did have reason, it just proved to be false. He had no idea of my captainship. He is under the protection of his ignorance."

_Damn you, Mulan. Why are you so smart? _Shang thought.

"Ignorance does not matter when it comes to the law." That argument sounded weak even to his ears.

Mulan gave him a look, telling him that she was not impressed. "The law does not mean as much as the people it is supposed to protect."

Shang groaned inwardly, knowing that she had just won her argument, and also knowing, with absolute certainty, that the man behind her would not be dying at his hand today.

"The law cannot protect anyone if it is not upheld." Well, he couldn't make it too easy for her. And hey, that sounded like a half-decent argument!

Mulan shook her head. "In this case, the people involved mean more."

Shang sighed, and finally sheathed his sword. Mulan flashed him a grateful look, and Shang watched as the tension in her shoulders eased. He suddenly realized that this whole scene had probably brought back some unwanted memories. He immediately wanted to pull her aside and apologize to her.

Mulan turned to the man she had just shielded. He looked up at her as if she was an angel sent from heavan-which, in Shang's world, she was-and gave her a very deep bow. Again, Mulan looked uncomfortable, but accepted it without question. The men who had held him also knelt, looking up at Mulan with the utmost reverence, an expression usually saved for a god.

Shang decided to step in and save Mulan, who was looking supremely uncomfortable and completely unsure of how to proceed from there.

"You may rise, men."

The three men looked to Mulan for conformation of the order, which irked Shang a little, but he also couldn't bring himself to mind. They respected Mulan now. She protected one of their comrades, and she was even more their hero now than she was before. Mulan nodded to them.

When they stood again, Mulan seemed to get her bearings together, "Alright, and now that that is settled, will you please show us the way to the stables?"

* * *

This time around, there would be no accompanying party. They had to move quickly, and complaining men would not solve anything. They would need two horses each, so that they could ride through the night. Mulan brought Khan of course, and then a spirited Imperial stallion that was impossible for almost everyone to control. The horse had taken one look at Mulan, whickered happily and nuzzled her neck. Nearly every person in the barn had stared at the sight, but Shang had struggled to keep his laughter to himself. Mulan could even tame the devil horse.

Shang brought his usual mount and another that was actually the fastest in the royal stables. Hopefully this way he would have a chance at keeping pace with Khan.

Once saddled and on the road again, Shang found himself completely alone with Mulan for the first time in a very long time. Even at her family's estate, they were never truly alone, as her grandmother and father seemed to take it upon themselves to spy on the young couple. Fa Li attempted to control her family, but usually got sidetracked with other business. As it were, this was the first time he had been alone with Mulan since he gained knowledge of her womanhood, and certainly the first time since he began courting her.

It was rather awkward to say the least.

Or maybe it was just awkward on his part. Mulan seemed relaxed, and she would occasionally make a comment about a plant or animal that reminded her of something. Shang listened eagerly to her little anecdotes in hopes of finding something to say that would carry them to a conversation, but was mostly disappointed. It continued like that for the better part of two hours, until Shang finally found something to say.

"How did you come up with all that stuff about the Huns?"

Mulan looked at him, eyebrow raised, "Did you just use the word 'stuff'?"

Shang rolled his eyes. At some point in the past, Mulan had teased him about using such formal language all the time. Of course, he had replied that he was properly educated and that he simply spoke in a manner befitting a general. She had laughed, and challenged him to an afternoon speaking in as complex a manner as possible. Of course, getting into a battle of the mind with Mulan was like hanging your pride on the clothesline to dry. Mulan was brilliant, and she used it to her advantage. Needless to say, she won their little contest (which, Shang was quite proud to say, ended after _hours_. Going up against China's most brilliant mind was no simple task, and Shang had stood his ground) with the word fraudulent. Now, as she knew the full extent of his vocabulary, she teased him whenever he used vernacular language.

"Yes, are you avoiding the question?"

Mulan smiled softly and shook her head. "It's as I said. It was all simple logic with a bit of conjecture and a basic understanding of how the world works."

Shang snorted. "If it was as you said, ten others would have figured it out. They may be pompous, but the members of court are not stupid."

Mulan sighed and shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe my brain just works differently. Maybe I just see the logic in things that others don't."

Shang let out a shaky laugh, "You got that right."

Silence filled the air, and Shang knew for sure that Mulan was feeling very awkward now. He thought over what he said and couldn't find something that would have made her look away from him or end their conversation. He tried the direct approach.

"Are you okay? Something I said?" He asked quietly. Mulan looked back to him so quickly that Shang thought she might crick her neck.

"No, nothing, it's just…are you angry with me for stopping you back at the palace?"

Shang blinked, too stunned to answer right away, which was just enough time for Mulan to get the wrong impression. As soon as he saw, this, he went to correct the situation. "No, of course not. I'm a little angry that the guy got away with it without so much as a warning, but none of my anger is directed at you."

She looked a little surprised at that and then a little hopeful, "But I went against you in front of soldiers!"

He shrugged, "Someone had to. You were right in what you did. I let my own anger get control of me."

She looked at him quizzically, "It takes a great deal of emotion to sway your decisions. Why would you get that upset over that single incident? I wasn't even injured."

Shang smiled at her, perfectly at peace with what he was about to say. "Because I care about you a great deal, Mulan, and I don't think I could bear it if you were hurt. I would go insane if you were killed."

She smiled at him, and he knew she felt the same way. It suddenly occurred to him that he was probably the only man, aside from her father, who had ever treated her as anything but a wall decoration. It was a shame really, that such an incredible mind had been gifted to a woman. It would never be appreciated properly by all, and it would have been increasingly frustrating for Mulan growing up. She would have been smarter than any of her peers, and probably most adults, and yet…they shunned the idea that a woman could be brilliant. The idea saddened him, for Mulan was completely undeserving of such torment, and at the same time, it gladdened him. It meant that his opinion would probably be something treasured by her, and that he would always have a place in her life.

They continued on companionably from then on. Conversation came easy and he caught up with her on things that he had not been able to on their expedition to the Imperial City.

He even let out a laugh as Khan and Mulan's new mount glared at each other. They seemed to be in a bit of a quarrel over their mistress, and neither appreciated the two hour intervals that they would ride at. They didn't want to wear out either mount, and so they switched back and forth. That night, they each took a two hour shift to sleep, before riding again. The horses only needed about four hours of sleep a night, and if they wanted to get to their destination in time, they could only adhere to the horses' needs, and not their own.

And so passed two hard days of riding. Both of the humans slipped out their rigid palace facades and into their own skin, becoming comfortable and at ease with each other in ways that Shang had never known before. In his entire eighteen years, he had never been so at ease, or so infatuated with a woman before. Hell, he had never even _been_ with a woman before. Not like this. He was an army man from birth, raised to be a general, and he had had no time for women before.

Actually, he didn't really have that time now. The difference was this: Mulan was coming _with_ him to the frontline. Not staying home to pour tea.

So in reality, it wasn't that he had any time for a relationship, it was that the relationship was coming to him, and he was welcoming these feelings with open arms.

When they arrived at Wu Zhong (at two A.M., on exhausted horses with even more haggard looking riders), he was very aware of the almost painful feeling expanding in his chest as he watched Mulan trot away, unpacking her tent. She would have to be separate from him now, even if she had chosen to pitch her tent right next to his, and it would be a while before they had a chance to be with each other like that again. There was a dull ache in his chest, expanding as he watched her move about the business of unpacking, and he froze in shock when he realized exactly why he was feeling so darn _empty_ when he wasn't with her.

* * *

a/n

**ohhh, Mulan/Shang fluff! Fun to write, although this has not been my favorite chapter. The next one will be fun, and really, really long, so wait in anticipation and baited breath! haha, just kidding, but seriously, thank you to all of you faithful readers who are sticking with me through this crazy adventure. Your reviews mean the world to me and I recently realized that I havent been thanking you all for them, so now, I am! Thank you for reviewing!**

**Fun fact: This story has now recieved over 1,000 hits! Thank you all for that, its really wonderful.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading, and please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

Mulan sighed as she looked over the recruits she was supposed to help train. They weren't as bad as they could have been (she deeply pitied Shang now for having been stuck with _her_ lot), but they weren't up to the standard she had been hoping for.

The recruits in her platoon, the soldiers now under her direct command, were either old enough to be her father, or the youngest sons of her generation. About a third of her troops were actually younger than her, which was impressive considering she was only sixteen, and the rest were at least twenty years her senior. Neither group had seemed particularly inclined to listen to her, rank aside.

She had to admit though, she was making progress. After a week of intense training, she had gained a fair amount of respect from her younger recruits, and the older ones were steadily coming to acknowledge her as a leader, and as their superior officer.

Mulan wanted to roll her eyes when she thought of her first day with these men. Upon their arrival, they had been thoroughly shocked to see her, a woman, among their camp. Apparently, they had believed it to be an all boy's club.

Which, if Mulan thought about it, was perfectly understandable.

Wu Zhong was being used as a meeting place, of sorts. All nine generals of the Chinese army had gathered here in an attempt to form a suitable plan to fend off and destroy the Huns.

The numbers were staggering. Ninety thousand men had been enlisted to serve in the Chinese military.

And a quarter of them were younger than fifteen.

Many brave men had been lost in Shan-Yu's attacks on China. Many of the boys were the younger brothers of those men, and had therefore taken it upon themselves to go in the place of their fathers.

Of course there were many older men as well. The men that either didn't have sons to take their places, or didn't want their sons to lose their lives, choosing to sacrifice their own instead. On the bright side to this, they had most likely served before, and were accustomed to military life.

And then there were the veterans. These were the soldiers that had been summoned three months ago to fight against Shan-Yu and his army, and had made it through unscathed. Mulan had been hoping for a few of those. Less training was required.

Then again, it wasn't surprising that she hadn't gotten any. They were much easier to train. The others were just giving her a hard time, and setting her up for failure. Not that she _would_ fail. They had more than enough time. Shang had managed to whip the last sorry lot into shape in six weeks. She got a better group of men, and more time. She was lucky.

Mulan herself had one thousand soldiers under her direct command. She reported directly to Shang, who had nine other captains reporting.

The woman winced internally when she thought of her co-captains. They had been…less than appreciative of Mulan's presence as an equal ranking officer, and they had made their displeasure known. She would have to work on those relations a bit. If not, she could end up tearing Shang's division apart, and that would definitely be a bad thing, both for Shang's career and the lives of every single person on the battlefield. Civil War was not pretty, and Mulan refused to be the cause of it.

She watched as this squad of trainees pushed their way through the obstacle course she had set up. Earlier, she had timed herself and then proceeded to tell them that if they didn't beat her, they would have to run ten miles.

Not a single one did.

Mulan returned to her musings. Her first day with the recruits had been…eventful, to say the least, and a bit disappointing if she was honest. Thinking back, she wondered at how it had all turned out…

Flashback

_Shang had called her to his tent this morning. She was neither surprised nor disappointed to see it filled with nine other people once she got there. It would have been nice to talk to Shang alone, but if he had wanted to speak to her about personal matters, he would have come to her, not send a messenger with a summons._

_The others in the tent were to be her new co-captains. A few had looked at her with interest, one or two with respect, and the other half just sneered. Mulan had shrugged it off. It had actually been a better reaction than she was expecting._

"_Sir, do you mean to tell me that she will be a captain as well?" One man asked. He looked ridiculously flabbergasted, and Mulan fought to hide her amusement._

_Shang had just rolled his eyes and said, "Yes, and mind you, she has a very neat left hook. Don't say anything stupid."_

_Mulan was surprised at his response, and then caught the hint of exasperation that shone through his mask. He had obviously been fending off these types of questions all day. She sighed. There would be much to work through over the next few weeks._

End Flashback

The other captains had grumbled a bit, but they had accepted that there would be no changing their general's mind. The fact that Mulan was good at being in the army didn't do her any harm either.

She frowned as she remembered what had happened when she had first met the troops. Mulan had received a similar reaction, although their responses had been a bit more violent.

Flashback

"_Boys, meet your new captain." Shang said. The troops looked right past her, and then when it finally dawned on them that they would be taking orders from a woman, there was nearly mutiny._

"_I refuse. This is an insult to my honor!" One man shouted. Similar cries arose from around them._

_Shang only sighed, but before he could speak again, Mulan stepped forward._

"_What will it take for you to accept this?" She asked the men. If she could just gain enough respect to get them over following orders…_

_That shut the men up. They looked at each other until one man got brave and stepped forward._

"_Show us that you've earned this title." And he assumed a fighting stance. There was a general noise of assent from the soldiers._

_Mulan nodded and stepped forward. His stance was flawed, and before she could stop herself, she found that she was already deciding on the best move to take the man down._

_She looked at Shang. He seemed rather amused at the prospect of watching one of the new recruits get pummeled by Mulan on the first day. "Begin." He said._

_Mulan did not take up her stance, and instead stood with her hands clasped in front of her, feet shoulder-width apart, and chin up, staring the man directly in the eye. He made the first move, a long kick that she had seen coming a mile away sailing towards her. She stepped inside his range and knocked his supporting leg out from under him with her knee. He fell, and stared up at her with a look of numb shock on his face._

_She stood over him, hands still clasped in front of her, and looked at her troops._

_Most of them were open-mouthed with awe. Some had a look of general curiosity and still others looked accepting. She figured that this was a good sign._

_She offered a hand to the fallen man. He looked at it for a moment before nodding slowly to himself and allowing her to pull him up._

"_You place your left leg too far behind you. Your intention became obvious when you moved to attack." She advised. The man's eyes widened for a moment, and Mulan could see him wondering whether or not getting beaten by a woman was indeed an insult to his honor if that woman was his captain, and if so, whether taking advice from her would make it worse. Eventually, he nodded with acceptance and returned to line. Mulan walked back to Shang, taking her place by his right hand._

End Flashback

Now, a week later, the men were still rather hesitant to follow her orders. They always, without fail, weighed their options before either following through or refusing. Under normal circumstances, this would not be tolerated and the men would be dismissed from the army without honor. As it was, Mulan would have significantly less soldiers if she implemented that punishment. Instead, she gave them a sound beating to kick them back into line.

However, a little progress was better than none, and the troops under her direct control were slowly coming around. Others, not so much, but they were learning.

Her soldiers ran through the obstacle course in heats of ten. The whole course had taken less than five minutes to do (and yet not one man had beaten her yet. She hadn't even gone at half speed!), and Mulan had told the ones who were waiting to start sparing. She had taken to correcting each man with a word or two. Men responded best to directness. They knew nothing of subtly. She had learned this her first time through the army.

As she watched the men run their heats, she noticed an exceptionally young boy sparing with a man three times his size. He looked to be around ten and the man sparing with him seemed understandably hesitant to lay a hand on him.

Mulan sighed. Her maternal instincts were doing battle with the warrior in her. On the one hand, the boy was too young for war. All she really wanted to do was send him home. Then again, this would result in disgrace to his family, and no young boy deserved that burden. Besides, she wouldn't really have any good reason to send him home, other than his age, and that didn't count in this army.

No, the best thing for this boy would be to train him, and give him a fighting chance for survival.

Which wouldn't happen if people kept going easy on him.

Mulan put a hand on the older man's shoulder. He tensed and turned around, looking ready to punch whoever had disturbed him, until he saw that it was his commanding officer. She watched the fight leave him, and was pleased when meekness was left in its place. The men were learning.

"I'll take over. Find another partner."

The man looked surprised, then suspicious, and then relieved. He would not have the burden of sparing with a child.

The boy, on the other hand, had other ideas.

"No! I can take him!" He said defiantly.

Mulan sighed, not really wanting to deal with yet another defiant young lad who had never once listened to a woman. She had enough of those already.

Which was why she was really very surprised when the man she had been sparring with spun around and got in the boy's face.

"Show respect to your commanding officer, boy!"

The boy looked extremely surprised and slightly fearful of the man in front of him. Mulan almost stepped in but the boy spoke first.

"But…she is a woman! She should not even be in the army!"

At this, Mulan gave a bit of a disproving glare while keeping herself aloof from the scene in front of her. She had to admit, she was a little curious as to how the older man would respond to the boy's accusations.

Some people around them had stopped sparring and were looking towards them with an expression of curiosity and incredulity. Some of them were eager. They all wanted to see Mulan get trash talked. They did not like being bossed around by a woman, and they wanted to see her taken down a few pegs.

The man glanced at her briefly before speaking again.

"This is true, but our captain has proven herself worthy of her position, and the emperor himself hand-picked her. Surly you do not know better than the emperor?"

The boy flushed and gasped. Mulan had to admit, she was a little surprised that the man had known this. The events pertaining to Mulan's captainship had not been made public knowledge. Not a secret, exactly, but not something shouted from rooftops either. Mulan hadn't wanted to look like she was flaunting the emperor's undeniable favoritism toward her.

The boy looked down at the ground in an act of submission, and Mulan thought the confrontation would be over. Instead, the boy's eyes snapped up defiantly, looking first to the older man and then to Mulan.

He spoke slowly, assuredly. There was a presence to his words that did not belong to someone of his age. "Maybe the emperor was wrong."

Mulan was pretty sure every man in the vicinity had a small heart attack at those words.

The Emperor of China was like a god to his people (1). Indisputable. Unquestionable. His word was Law and his actions guided by divine Justice. For someone to even question that was considered treason.

The older man's face seemed to swell and grow very red. "Listen, _boy-_"

"Enough." Mulan said simply. Every person in the area's attention turned to her. She sighed inwardly. It had been a very long week and she was getting sick of having her every action evaluated for her worthiness. Confrontations like this one were too common.

_Although_, she thought wryly to herself, _no one else has had the audacity to question the emperor. This kid has guts._

She turned her attention to the boy. "If you think you know better than the emperor, then you shall have to prove it."

He paled a little, but kept the defiant gleam in his eyes. "I'm not afraid."

She sighed inwardly again, resigned to what she was about to do. "No?" She paused for a moment, "You will be." (2)

The boy looked slightly stricken. So did a few others.

She turned to a bow and full quiver that lay forgotten on the ground and picked it up.

"Follow me." She said to the boy and the older man. "The rest of you, keep sparing. Pash is in charge until I return."

Pash was an older man who had shown a surprising affection for Mulan and had proven to be far and wide the best martial artist in the company of new recruits. He was kind and fair and had long ago established himself as Mulan's second. He nodded in assent, curiosity burning in his eyes. He wanted to know what she planned on doing, and Mulan realized she would be questioned later.

Their little party tromped back to camp. Mulan had her bow and quiver slung over her shoulder. The bow was designed for a beginner, and therefore didn't have as much raw power, but it would suffice for her intended purpose.

She walked over to the post that stood tall in the center of camp. It brought back memories of her first trip to Wu Zhong.

"What are we doing here? How are you going to prove yourself? What-"

Mulan cut off the boy's rambling with a sharp glance.

"First of all," She began, thoroughly annoyed by the boy, "You should understand that I have no need to prove myself to you. You are a child, and a soldier in my army. Your opinion does not matter." She paused, letting that sink in for the child. It was true that his opinion of her was of no concern to Mulan, but she did care for his respect. She needed it to keep her platoon together. However, the boy needed to learn his place, and to know that he was not an all-important being in this world. He had obviously led something of a sheltered life. "As for what we are doing here, you will find out soon enough."

She took up the bow and buried an arrow in the top of the pole. There was another pole about two hundred yards away. She shot another arrow to the top of that one.

She turned to the other man present. He looked rather confused as to why he was there.

"If you will look into that chest over there, I think you will find that there are two boxes in there. Retrieve them."

Mulan almost added please before remembering that she was captain and probably shouldn't do that when giving orders.

The man returned a few moments later, grunting with the effort of carrying the two heavy boxes. She nodded to him and opened the first box. Two heavy weights sat inside, and she took them easily before tying them to the boy's wrists. He nearly fell over before looking to her in confusion, but she said and revealed nothing.

Next she took the other box and tied the weights inside to her own wrists. She noted with pride that they felt much lighter since the first time she had donned them.

"These weights represent discipline and strength." She nearly smiled with nostalgia when she remembered the next words to the phrase. "You need both to reach the arrow."

The boy looked at her as if she had just spouted English. She found she didn't much care. The boy had to learn how to hold his tongue.

"You will climb this pole, and I the other. If I reach the top first, you will drop this ridiculous argument and apologize to all those you disturbed with your allegations against the emperor."

The boy stuck his chin up defiantly. "And if I win?"

Mulan sighed, "If that happens, I am not fit for captainship."

The boy looked surprised by her answer, but seemed satisfied. Mulan turned to the other man. "You will be the judge."

He nodded in understanding. She turned and walked toward her pole.

"Start when ready." She called over her shoulder.

The boy yelled back. "How many chances do I get?"

She didn't even look back. "As many as you want."

She heard the unmistakable grunting sound of someone falling a few feet to the ground straight to their rear ends a few moments later. She smiled to herself.

Mulan walked casually to her own pole, confident that the boy would not be figuring it out anytime soon. He was a straightforward thinker, and used the first moves that came to mind. He would not give up until he made it all the way to the top with those weights dragging him down. He would not think to use them to his advantage.

When she reached the pole, she swung the bow and quiver over her shoulder before starting her climb. She hadn't had much time to train herself since the recruits came in. She planned on savoring the experience.

In far too short a time, she had reached the top. But apparently it was long enough to gather a crowd, for that's what was happening at the moment. Twenty or so men had gathered at the bottom of her pole, and from her perch, she could see a similar number at the bottom of the other one. She sighed. She hadn't really wanted this to be public. Oh well.

She swung the weights over her shoulder and pulled the bow off of her back. It had been a bit of a hindrance to climb with, but she had had far worse. It was much easier than trying to do it in a dress.

Plucking the arrow out of the wood, she knocked it in her bow and took aim.

The arrow landed at the older man's feet. He jumped and looked up to Mulan. She held a finger to her lips, asking him to wait before calling the little contest she was taking part in. He looked at her in confusion before nodding. She smiled and took a deep breath, before enacting the last part of her plan.

With deadly aim and accuracy that would have had even Shang impressed, Mulan started firing her arrows, one at a time. The first one hit the arrow already embedded in the opposite pole, the one her soldier was so desperately trying to reach. The arrow she fired after that spliced her previous and so on. Her quiver held twenty arrows. She emptied it. On top of the pole opposite of her, there was a nest of arrows, each one splicing the one before it. She smiled and descended the pole.

* * *

Bao-Zhi was a simple man.

Or, at least he tried to be.

He didn't start up fights, he didn't cause trouble. He just minded his own business, did his military duty, brought honor to his family and hoped to make it home to dinner, and he really, really, did not wish for any trouble.

So why he was currently judging a contest between an officer and a ten year old boy was completely beyond him. He had no doubt as to who would win and he thought the boy stupid for even trying. Hell, he thought the boy stupid anyways. Mouthing off to a commanding officer was one thing, disgracing the emperor was a completely different situation. He was glad that Captain Fa was taking the matter seriously.

Captain Fa. Now _there_ was an interesting person. At sixteen, she had singlehandedly saved China twice, and was now a commanding officer in the Chinese army. His uncle was a courtier, and he had heard the whole story from him. He had to admire her courage. She rode off to almost certain death in order to protect her father, took out a hun army with a single cannon, and then disarmed Shan-Yu with only a fan. Soon after, she was being honored by the emperor and then courted by a general. She truly was remarkable.

Bao-Zhi wondered why no one else seemed to be able to see it.

In fact, they all seemed utterly unable to get over the fact that she was a woman. Perhaps he was a bit more immune to this than some. He had been raised by his mother and sister, who had given everything for him. His sister even went so far as to marry an abusive man just so he could have a roof over his head. As soon as he was old enough to support the family, he had practically ordered his sister to divorce her husband and come home (3). She had done as asked. He had two other wives anyway.

So, in his humble opinion, women really weren't all that bad.

He supposed that it didn't help anything that Captain Fa was exquisitely beautiful as well. No one likes taking orders from a flower.

_Although_, he thought to himself, _you would think they would have realized that this rose has thorns by now._

General Li was a lucky man. Bao-Zhi hoped he knew this. The soldier assumed he did, seeing as the woman had agreed to their courtship. She would not be pressured into anything, of that he was sure.

The boy fell to the ground for the fifteenth time. Frustrated, the child let out a groan and then started on his way up again. He didn't get more than four feet before falling again.

The onlookers watched him with sympathy. They had no clue as to what was going on, but seemed to recognize that the boy was in a bit of a bind.

He sighed. He was sure that Captain Fa had not wanted people to watch this demonstration. Then again, this whole thing was just a way to make sure this kid didn't backtalk her again, or disgrace the emperor. With witnesses, the embarrassment would be more complete and the kid would be unlikely to do it again.

Distracted as he was with his thoughts, Bao-Zhi did not notice the arrow until it was embedded in the ground in front of his feet.

He was ashamed to say he jumped. Luckily, no one else noticed.

Recognizing the arrow as the one that Captain Fa had shot a few minutes earlier, he looked up to the pole that stood proudly two hundred yards away.

Sure enough, he could pick out Captain Fa's lithe body from here, sitting easily on top of the pole with the weights slung over her shoulder, a bow in hand. He was about to call the match when she put her finger to her full lips in the unmistakable demand for silence.

Confused, but understanding the order, he nodded and looked back to the other soldier. He got ten feet up the pole this time. Bao-Zhi had to wonder at how the woman had gotten to the top of the pole so fast. It had only been ten minutes since she had planted the arrows in the poles. Considering the time she had taken to explain things to the boy, and the time she had taken walking over there, it had only taken her about three minutes to scale the pole.

Bao-Zhi grinned. This boy had another thing coming if he thought he was going to beat Captain Fa.

Suddenly, he became aware of a soft sound. It was nothing more than a tickle on his ear, apart from the murmurings of the growing crowd.

_Thwap. Thwap. Thwap._

It was steady, like a heartbeat. It was coming from above him.

When he looked up, his jaw dropped.

Even as he watched, the arrow on top of the pole was being driven in by arrow after arrow, perfectly shot and perfectly on target, and each splitting the one before right down the middle.

He turned towards where Captain Fa was perched. She was a blur of motion, even while maintaining perfect balance on that blasted pole. It must have been even more difficult considering the heavy weights slung over her shoulder, but the young woman made it all look easy. Her right arm continued on its path, drawing back, releasing, plucking the next arrow out and knocking it, drawing, and releasing before the arrow she had previously shot had even hit its target.

And she was two hundred yard away.

With a _training bow_!

How could she even see the arrow on top of the other pole?

At this point, many others had noticed the splitting arrows on top of the pole. All were staring in stunned silence at the woman perched on top of the other pole, easily doing the impossible.

In fact, at this point, the only person who hadn't noticed was the boy still trying to make his way up the pole, completely unaware that his target was now unattainable.

Finally, the barrage of arrows stopped.

Captain Fa smiled, a brilliant thing that could be seen even from where he stood. Bao-Zhi thought she was enjoying this far too much. She practically dove off the pole, repelling down so quickly it looked like she was falling. Cheers erupted from that general direction. She must have gathered her own crowd.

Silence ensued from their pole. Each man looked to each other for confirmation on what they had seen. Very few liked the implications.

Bao-Zhi smirked. They would surly give her a little more respect now.

The boy fell again. So single minded and determined was he that Bao-Zhi doubted whether or not he knew there were others present.

In no time, Captain Fa had arrived at their pole. She looked no worse for wear. The only difference was the emptied quiver.

The Captain stood with an aura about her. One of confidence, pride, and a certain righteousness that made it very difficult to imagine anyone getting in her way. The admiring stares she got now were as much for her skills as it was for her very presence.

This time, her beauty only enhanced that aura.

Oh yes, General Li was a lucky man indeed.

Captain Fa looked at the still struggling boy for a moment more before turning to Bao-Zhi, eyebrows raised expectantly.

For a moment, he wondered why. Then, he remembered that he was supposed to be calling this whole contest of theirs. If one could call it that. The boy had been so thoroughly trounced that he wasn't sure he could.

"Captain Fa wins." The 'by a landslide' part was left to be assumed.

The boy whipped around, sweat pouring down his face, "What?" He then looked to the arrow at Bao-Zhi's feet and then up to the top of the other pole, conspicuously missing an arrow. "That's impossible!"

"Is it?" Captain Fa asked. The boy's eyes settled on her, and then on the weights still slung over her shoulder.

"Yes!" The boy exclaimed, "You must have cheated!"

The captain's eyes narrowed dangerously. "How so?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "I don't know. Maybe you didn't have the weights with you, or maybe you had someone else go get it. How am I to know the mind of a cheater and a liar?"

Captain Fa said nothing. She only fixed the boy with a hard stare, which he returned. For several minutes, no one spoke, no one even breathed. Finally, the boy lowered his gaze, submitting at last.

Captain Fa started speaking quietly, but somehow her words carried acroos the campground. "Hear me now, soldier. If you think attacking others' integrity will make up for your own shortcomings, then you are sorely mistaken. I climbed the pole, with the weights, and did it before you had even made it twenty feet. Look to your arrow." She ordered. The boy complied, glowering, before he saw the spectacular display of archery that was sitting on top of the pole. He gaped.

Silence ensued. Finally, the shaken boy turned to his officer, and promptly flung himself to the ground at Captain Fa's feet.

"Forgive me, Captain," he said quietly, "I see now that I greatly disrespected you, and have brought dishonor to my family. I have no excuse."

For her part, the captain looked genuinely surprised, though she concealed it well. After a moment, she spoke.

"Rise, soldier. Your misdeeds are forgiven. Honor has been restored."

The boy stood, but refused to even look at his captain.

"You went wrong when you narrowed your thinking," the captain started. "You thought of the weights as handicaps, and worked against them. Do you remember what they represent?"

The boy looked up, surprised. "You-You're teaching me how to climb the pole?"

She gave him a look of mock surprise and disappointment. "You weren't going to leave all those arrows up there were you? They're still good for fire wood. How wasteful!" The woman admonished, a bit of a mischievous glint in her eye. The boy looked surprised, then eager.

"Strength and discipline." He recited.

Captain Fa nodded, "And there is a third trait needed to reach the top."

The boy looked confused. "But you didn't say anything about a third trait!"

The captain looked at him for a moment before the boy realized he had spoken out of turn again and he blushed. Captain Fa's gaze softened a bit.

"Meekness is a trait that you seem especially lacking in. It just means you must work harder for it. Sometimes, the greater person is the one who restrains themselves, and submits."

Bao-Zhi could tell that the boy was confused by this. Truth be told, Bao-Zhi was somewhat confused as well. And then he thought he understood. The man who sacrificed his pride for the smart thing, the one who walked away from a dare, or a stupid fight, was braver, and far more honorable than the man who was afraid of being called a coward. Meekness was not a bad thing when exercised carefully.

He looked to his captain in wonder. The woman was very wise, especially for one of such a young age. She may have only been six years older than the boy in front of her, but she was at such a high maturity level that they seemed decades apart.

The boy still looked confused.

"I don't understand." He said. The captain gave him a small smile.

"You will."

She walked over to the base of the pole, all eyes on her.

"You said that the weights represented strength and discipline?" She asked.

The boy nodded hesitantly, "Yes."

She turned and looked at him. "So why were you working against them?"

The boy's mouth dropped open in shock. "But I thought-"

The captain shook her head, "You did _not_ think. You did not look for options, you did not use your head. Instead, you took the straightforward approach, the one everyone would expect. You forgot the third trait, which is unspoken and a necessary part of every soldier."

The boy looked at her in wonder. "What is that?"

The corners of her mouth quirked into a bit of a smile. "Ingenuity."

And with that, she strapped the weights to her wrists and flung them around the pole, where they locked. She proceeded to climb up the pole, so quickly it was almost like she was walking straight up. In no time she had reached the top. Climbing onto her perch, she slung the weights over her shoulder again and then bent down to the large nest of arrows currently embedded in the top of the pole. She wriggled it carefully, and after several minutes the arrows were pulled out. She promptly dropped it, and watched as it plummeted to the ground, where it imploded on impact. Arrowheads and slivers of shafts littered the grass nearly thirty feet around ground zero. Again, the captain repelled down so fast that Bao-Zhi thought she was falling. Apparently others did too, because a few men started towards her before correcting themselves. Captain Fa landed gracefully on her feet.

She looked at the boy, who was staring at her in awe and admiration. Her gaze softened a bit.

"Clean up this mess, and then you're free to go for the rest of the day." She said, and then turned on her heel to head back to the rest of her platoon. She stopped suddenly, and whirled around.

"What is your name, soldier?" She asked the boy. He looked up.

"Shao Ping." He answered dutifully.

The captain froze, mirth gathering in her eyes. "Ping? Your name is Ping?"

He nodded, obviously confused as to why this was so important. "Yes."

Bao-Zhi noticed that his captain looked as if she was desperately trying to conceal a fit of giggles. She was succeeding. There were well over a hundred people now gathered around the pole. Each and every one of them had seen Captain Fa's little demonstration. As he remembered her body language during the whole affair, Bao-Zhi realized that she had been _very_ aware of the growing crowd, and even as she gave a one on one lesson, she had also been instructing every other person there. Bao-Zhi was again awed at the woman's brilliance. The emperor could not have picked a better captain.

As she walked past him, back to the training grounds where her soldiers awaited her, she suddenly stopped and trained her sharp eyes on him.

"You, soldier, are not quite done for the day. You have quite a lot of training left. Follow me."

Bao-Zhi smiled. "Gladly."

She looked surprised by this answer, but said nothing and continued on to her destination. Bao-Zhi walked dutifully behind.

* * *

**a/n**

**Well, this time I at least have a good reason for not posting for so long. My computer decided to crap out on me, finished chapter with it. And we all know that nothing is ever as good the second time you write it. So I had to wait for my computer to be fixed. Urg.**

**Anywho, how did you guys like Bao-Zhi? He was actually unplanned, but about halfway through the chapter, I thought it would be more interesting if I gave an outside prerspective on the whole situation.**

**Keep an eye out for our new Ping. He's going to be more important later.**

**So how did you guy's like the reinvented arrow-pole thing? I thought it fit pretty well into this scene, but I really want to know what you guys thought!**

**1) I don't know if this is an accurate description of the emperor to the Ancient Chinese, but based on the reactions of the people in the movie, and what I know from history, I'm pretty okay with this. If anyone has any issues with it or a more accurate description, please tell me and I will fix it. See number three for more details on the matter.**

**2) Yes, this is an allusion to Star Wars! You caught it! Good for you! Bonus points if you know who said it and what movie it came from!**

**3) I'm not actually sure if women were allowed to get a divorce from their husbands. They probably had to have their families agree upon it, but for the sake of the story, and because its such an insignificant part of the story, I'm going to leave it be unless someone has a real problem with it. I promise I wasn't doing it to slight Chinese culture. It was just a matter of ignorance and convienience to the story.**

**To all those who have reviewed and favorited and followed, I can't say thank you enough. A few of you nearly made me cry, but in a good way. Thank you all for the reviews, and please leave another!**

**~peace out (because I have been dying to use that one ever since I started the story!)**


	8. Chapter 8: Author's Note

So you're probably all wondering what the heck is going on.

The truth is, I have no excuse. No sob story about how life has been difficult, and no reason to keep you guys waiting. It's not a lack of motivation, because you guys have been wonderful about reviewing and story favorites. Do you guys know that I have over one hundred reviews and favorites? That's crazy. And wonderful. But the truth is, my muses took a vacation, and I haven't been able to write a single word about Mulan for months. Finally, I just took a step back, and started to work on other things. Now, I can tell that my muses are back, and here to stay.

Cus the truth is guys, I really, really like this story.

Recently, I've totally nailed down the plot. It's going to be about 23 chapters, including the epilouge. Also, I'm revising chapters 1-7 because you guys have been awesome about telling me what I've screwed up, and I definitely want to fix it. After looking back, I also realized that Mulan had somehow turned into a Mary-Sue. She's such a great character, and she deserves more. So I'm going back, and doing it right.

And to help with that, I got myself a Beta. Hopefully they can help me become a better writer, and kick my but back into gear if I ever end up taking a hiatus like this again. I don't think it will, because I really like this story, and where I'm going with it.

More important news, the title will be changed.

Two Sides of a Coin was always a working title. Always. Mulan and Shang's relationship has always felt very forced to me, at least from Shang's perspective (don't get your panties in a twist, I obviously support them, or I wouldn't be writing this story). For most of the movie, Shang thought Mulan was a dude. My thought is, he was utterly fascinated by Mulan because he has, up until then, led a very structured, organized life, and Mulan comes in and just tears his ideas of how the world works to pieces. So originally, it refered to the two different interpretations of Honor that Mulan and Shang have, and how it fits together. This story was also much less plot driven when I named it. Now, it has an awesome plot that I'm super excited about, and the characterization that I was also intending to do. So the new title will be 'For One', and it will be cool.

Alright, I think that's it. I just want to say thank you to those who are still keeping up with the story. When my beta gets done with all of the revised chapter, and chapter eight which, thanks to a fan request, will have Mulan's family in it. Anyways, I'll see you soon.

~Peace Out


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